WINCHESTER, Va.– Dr. Robert S. Barneyback, Jr., has long been recognized for his expertise in materials and structures engineering, making an indelible mark on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operations in the Middle East for the past 30 years.
Barneyback, a materials engineer in the Quality Assurance Branch of Construction Operations Division, recently reached a milestone with the American Concrete Institute. On April 14, he was honored with a certificate of appreciation recognizing his 50 years of membership in the institute. He was among 33 members cited for reaching this milestone.
He received the membership citation during the institute’s annual awards program in Minneapolis, Minn. The American Concrete Institute, a nonprofit technical and educational society organized in 1904, is one of the world's leading authorities on concrete technology.
Barneyback said that membership in the American Concrete Institute has help him solve materials and structures problems throughout his career. “The institute publishes two journals – one containing technical papers on concrete and the other on structures. These journals have provided resources that have been useful in helping us solve engineering problems for customers.”
One such example was an analysis of a pier in the Middle East. The U.S. Army asked the Middle East District to determine U.S. loading effects on the pier. The District’s evaluation included field investigation, laboratory testing and results of the 25mm concrete core samples taken from the superstructure, a structural analysis, and conclusions and recommendations for the customer.
“Materials as a subject is an often overlooked specialty in engineering organizations,” said Barry Morley, chief, Quality Assurance Branch. “Dr. Barneyback has provided expert support on a wide variety of materials, most important of which, for us, has been in military airfield concrete paving.
“The (USACE) Omaha District is the center of expertise for airfield paving and has recognized and taken advantage of Dr. B’s advanced knowledge and experience as that organization established materials guidelines,” Morley continued. “He is also a widely recognized expert in pile foundations used in onshore and offshore construction.”
Barneyback joined USACE in its Winchester office in March 1983. He has traveled frequently – and often for long periods of time – to construction sites in the Middle East and Northern Africa to solve problems related to construction materials and material quality.
He has worked on a range of projects, from airfields to jetties and piers in locations such as Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt and Bahrain. He lived and worked for six years in Egypt.
Barneyback also assisted with the production of training films for the U.S. Army Pictorial Center, and he has made several court appearances as an expert witness for matters related to construction deficiencies, materials problems and errors in design.
Before his service with USACE, Barneyback worked as an Assistant Plant Engineer for Kaiser Industries for 18 years where he established a Quality Control and Materials Research Laboratory; as a consultant to Lawrence Berkeley Radiation Laboratory; and as an instructor at California State University, Fresno, where he taught Strength of Materials to classes that included students from many countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Barneyback has a master’s degree specializing in engineering materials from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a doctorate in engineering materials from Purdue University. He is a registered quality control engineer in California.
By Joan Kibler, Public Affairs Office