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Dean C. Alberson, Ph.D., P.E.

Dean C. Alberson, Ph.D., P.E.

Assistant Agency Director
Research Engineer
Program Manager
Crashworthy Structures Program - Riverside 7091, Room 108
Texas Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 458-3874 · fax (979) 845-6107
d-alberson@tamu.edu
Homepage: http://ttiresearch.tamu.edu/d-alberson

Short Biography

Dr. Dean C. Alberson is an Assistant Agency Director assisting divisions in the pursuit of new research initiatives. He is also a research engineer and program manager of the Crashworthy Structures Program. He obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering Structures at Texas A&M University. His career with TTI began in 1992. Since that time, he has actively been involved in the full-scale testing and evaluation of numerous highway safety features. Dr. Alberson works closely with manufacturers in the support of existing products by helping them improve their products, expand product lines, and develop new products. These products include, but are not limited to, w-beam guardrail, cable guardrail, guardrail terminals, crash cushions and breakaway sign supports. These tasks are accomplished through computer modeling, prototype tests, and hundreds of full-scale crash tests. He is also active in the development of new innovative products and subsequent partnering with industry to bring these new products to market. Dr. Alberson is a registered professional engineer.

Events of September 11 have increased the awareness of terrorist vulnerability in many facilities within the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Alberson has served as the principal investigator on numerous projects for the U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security (SBI Net), Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) in conjunction with Sandia National Labs and others involving the full-scale crash testing of anti-ram and anti-terrorist perimeter barriers, fences and gates. He also served as the chairman of the ASTM F12.10 committee in the development of the ASTM F2656-07 "Standard Test Method for Vehicle Crash Testing of Perimeter Barriers". Dr. Alberson has personally been involved in the testing of over 75 security and anti-terror/anti-ram devices.

Professional Interests

Highway safety

Security

Barriers (Roads)

Safety and security

Structural analysis

Structural design

Roadside structures

Vehicle dynamics

Accident analysis

Structural mechanics

Simulation

Education

Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2000.

M.S., Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1985.

B.S., Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1984.

Experience

Assistant Agency Director, TTI Administration, Texas Transportation Institute, December 2006 - Present.

Research Engineer, Crashworthy Structures Program, Texas Transportation Institute, September 2006 - Present.

Program Manager, Crashworthy Structures Program, Texas Transportation Institute, February 2000 - Present.

Partner/Engineer, Safety Quest, Inc., Bryan, Texas, May 1996 - Present.

Associate Research Engineer, Crashworthy Structures Program, Texas Transportation Institute, February 2000 - August 2006.

Program Manager, Safety Division, Engineering Factors Program, Texas Transportation Institute, February 1993 - July 1996.

Assistant Research Engineer, Safety Division, Texas Transportation Institute, August 1992 - July 1996.

Vice President/Engineer, Evans & Associates, Inc., Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1988 - 1992.

Accident Analyst, Evans & Associates, Inc., Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1983 - 1988.

Graduate/Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Computer Operator, Physical Science Laboratory, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1982 - 1984.

Professional Registration

Professional Engineer in Texas, Registration No. 74891.

Affiliations

Chairman, American Society for Testing and Materials, WK 2534, Standard Test Method for Vehicle Crash Testing of Perimeter Barriers and Gates.

Committee Member, American Society for Testing and Materials, F12.10, Security Systems and Equipment, Systems Products and Services, 2004 - Present.

Research Affiliate, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Task Force 13 Committee for Highway Safety.

Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Member, Chi Epsilon - The National Civil Engineering Honor Society, Civil Engineering Honor Fraternity.

Member, Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Fraternity.

Member, Society of Automotive Engineers.

Honors/Awards

K.B. Woods Award, Transportation Research Board (TRB), 2007, for the paper, Low-Deflection Portable Concrete Barrier.

Best Paper Award, Transportation Research Board, Committee AFB20 (Roadside Safety Design), 2007, for the paper, Low-Deflection Portable Concrete Barrier.

Researcher Award, TTI/Trinity Industries, 2004.

Best Paper Award, Transportation Research Board, Committee A2A04, 2003, for the paper, A Review of Cable/Wire Rope Barrier Design Considerations.

Academic Courses Taught

Soil Mechanics Laboratory. New Mexico State University, 1985.

Short Courses Taught

Cable Barrier - State of the Practice. American Traffic Safety Services Association. College Station, TX, June 24, 2008.

Selected Publications

S.A. Cooner, Y.K. Rathod, D.C. Alberson, R.P. Bligh, S.E. Ranft, D. Sun. Performance Evaluation of Cable Median Barrier Systems in Texas. 0-5609-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. August 2009.

W.F. Williams, D.C. Alberson, W.L. Menges, R.R. Haug. Bridge Rail Analysis and Crash Testing. FHWA-PA-2007-019-BRACT. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. November 2007.

W.F. Williams, A. Abu-Odeh, D.C. Alberson, W.L. Menges, R.R. Haug. NCHRP Report 350 Test 4-12 of the PennDOT Structure Mounted Guide Rail Barrier. 401301-2. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. July 2007.

D.C. Alberson, N.M. Sheikh, L.S. Chatham. Guidelines for the Selection of Cable Barrier Systems (Generic Design vs. High-Tension Designs). 475741-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. July 2007.

D.C. Alberson, W.L. Menges. Pendulum Testing, Generic Low-Tension Cable Guardrail Wedge Anchors. 00009-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. March 2007.

I. van Schalkwyk, R.P. Bligh, D.C. Alberson, D. Lance Bullard, Jr., D. Lord, S. Miaou. An Overview of the Development of a TxDOT In-Service Performance Evaluation Process for Roadside Safety Features. PSR. 0-4366-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. August 2006.

D.C. Alberson, W.L. Menges, R.R. Haug. Crash Testing and Evaluation of the High-tension Cable Guardrail at High Impact Angle. 405160-2-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. August 2006.

N.M. Sheikh, R.P. Bligh, D.L. Bullard, C.E. Buth, D.C. Alberson, A. Abu-Odeh, H.E. Ross. Development of Energy-Absorbing End Terminal for Open Box Beam Guardrail. 9th International LS-DYNA Users Conference, Dearborn, MI. June 2006.

D.C. Alberson, C.E. Buth, W.L. Menges, R.R. Haug. NCHRP Report 350 Testing and Evaluation of the NETC BRIDGE Rail Transitions. 401181-F (NETCR 53). Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. January 2006.

N.M. Sheikh, D.C. Alberson, D.L. Bullard. Development of Hybrid Energy-Absorbing Reusable Terminal for Roadside Safety Application. Journal of Transportation Research Board, Vol. 1904, 2005.

D.C. Alberson. Evaluation of Florida DOT Transportation Safety Devices. PSR. 9-8132-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. July 2005.

D.C. Alberson, W.L. Menges, R.P. Bligh, A. Abu-Odeh, C.E. Buth, R.R. Haug. Thrie Beam Transition Crash Tests. 401021-38. Federal Highway Administration, McLean, VA. January 2005.

Selected Presentations

Low Profile Barriers for Restrictive Applications, Presented at TRB Summer Meeting, TRB Committee AFB20, Roadside Safety Design, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, June 2008.

Cable Barrier - State of the Practice, Presented at AASHTO, Technology Implementation Group, Raleigh, North Carolina, June 2008.

Cable Barrier - State of the Practice, Presented at 87th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Design of Roadside Safety Features, Washington, DC, January 2008.

Update on Guidelines for the Selection of Cable Barrier Systems, Presented at AASHTO, Sub-Committee on Design, Orlando, Florida, June 2006.

Analysis and Testing of Florida Jersey Safety Shaped Bridge Rail, Presented at 84th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Roadside Safety, Washington, DC, January 2005.

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