PULLMAN, Wash. — Robert J. Tichy, a WSU research engineer in the College of Engineering and Architecture’s Wood Materials Engineering Laboratory was recently recognized with the L.J. Markwardt Award for his leadership in building code and standardization activities in wood and wood-based materials.
He received the national award from the American Society of Testing Materials at its committee meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, in October. He also received a $1,000 honorarium.
Tichy has been a research engineer in the Wood Materials Lab since 1992. He has been involved in several research and technology transfer projects during his time at WSU. He was project leader in the International Marketing Program for Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) at WSU, where he led two programs for developing wood construction building codes in the People’s Republic of China and South Korea.
Tichy also has been co-investigator in a multi-million dollar, interdisciplinary research program for the U.S. Navy aimed at development of wood-plastic composite materials. His role is to lead the standards development and technology demonstration tasks for the project. He chairs three sections of the American Society for Testing and Materials and is working to develop standards for the use of engineered wood-based products. He also serves on the National Grade Rule Committee of the American Lumber Standard Committee. He authored a chapter of the “Load and Resistance Factor Design Manual for Engineered Wood Construction” and managed the editorial process for “Allowable Stress Design Manual for Engineered Wood Construction.”
