Structural Engineers HALL of FAME
Postings here, document and acknowledge the achievements of individuals honored by the Structural Engineers Association of Washington (SEAW) since the 1950 establishment of the organization.
Robert Mast - PSEC Engineer of the Year 2014, SEAW President 1969, SEAW Southwest President 1967
Born May 20, 1934, Robert F. Mast received his bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1957. He went on to serve in the US Army.
In 1959, Bob joined Anderson, Birkeland, and Anderson as the "M" in the firm later known as ABAM before the 1998 merger when it became BergerABAM. He became a partner of the firm in 1963, serving as president 1972-86 and chairman 1986-98.
Bob recalls his work on the monorail for the Seattle World's Fair, especially on its curved beams. He notes: "Alweg's original design for the monorail beam bearings used machined bronze. These were very expensive, and required tight tolerances. Working with a bearings specialist, E Terry Dalton out of Lake Oswego, OR, we developed an alternative using laminated pads and stainless steel. I believe that was a new concept in 1960-61."Bob counts among his favorite projects Space Mountain, on which he worked in the 1970s for Disney World in Orlando, Florida. His contributions to the engineering industry include his development of shear friction in the 1960s, with multiple applications and publications. This key concept for designing with prestressed and reinforced concrete became widely used in 1971 and relied on by engineers around the world.
In addition to his SEAW service, Bob Mast took an active role with the American Concrete Institute, serving as ACI President 1995-96. He received the ACI Arthur J. Boase Award in 1997 and the ACI Arthur R. Anderson Award in 2003. The National Academy of Engineering recognized him in 1989; he received the American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Projects and Leadership (OPAL) award in 2002, the T.Y. Lin Award in 1969, 1973, and 2002; the Consulting Engineers Council of Washington Engineer of the Year Award in 2000; and from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute the Medal of Honor in 2001, the Martin P. Korn Award in 1992 and 2001, and the Charles C. Zollman Award, 2002. The Washington State Academy of Science lists Robert Mast as a member of the 2011 Founding Class.
In 2014, Puget Sound Engineering Council named Robert Mast as Engineer of the Year, acting on his nomination by SEAW.
Posted March 2012, updated January 2014