ASCE has honored Sunyong Kim, Yanzhi Yang, and Dan M. Frangopol, Sc.D., P.E., NAE, F.EMI, F.SEI, Dist.M.ASCE, with the 2026 Raymond C. Reese Research Prize for their paper “Optimum Seismic Retrofit of Deteriorating RC Bridge Columns Based on Risk, Cost-Benefit, and Real Option Analyses,” ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering, June 2024.
This paper represents an outstanding contribution to the advancement of structural engineering research showcasing how that research can be applied to design. It provides an integrated and multidisciplinary design framework that addresses one of the most pressing challenges in civil infrastructure: achieving long-term, economically optimal, and resilient design as well as effective management of deteriorating structures subjected to multiple interacting hazards.
The practical utility of this research is evident in its quantitative findings, which provide direct guidance for structural engineering design practice. Its recommendations for design and planning are clear and actionable, making this feature of the work most important in the context of the Reese Research Prize criteria.
The core contribution of the paper is as a tool enabling structural designers and asset managers to make strategic, proactive decisions based on a comprehensive accounting of engineering, financial, and time-dependent factors. The study is rigorous, extremely relevant, and clearly meets the criteria of the Prize, based on the contributions of integrated methodology, practical innovation, and strategic guidance for design.
The Raymond C. Reese Research Prize is awarded to the author or authors of a paper that describes a notable achievement in research related to structural engineering.
