The John A. Roebling Medal awarded to
Daniel Tassin

The John A. Roebling Medal was established in honor of John Augustus Roebling (1806-1869), a German-born American civil engineer who became one of the leading suspension bridge designers in the U.S. He invented the method of twisting steel wire into cable which proved to be a vital necessity for the design of suspension bridges. Roebling is best known for designing New York City National Historic Landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge. The recipient of the John A. Roebling Medal award is one of the highest achievements given annually to engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the technology of bridge engineering.

Daniel Tassin started his career over 50 years ago. In 1971, he obtained his engineering degree at the École Spéciale des Travaux Publics in Paris, France, and acquired an advanced degree in prestressed concrete structures from the Centre des Hautes Études de la Construction. From 1972, Daniel worked for 25 years with Jean Muller, the famous French bridge engineer credited with the development of the precast concrete segmental construction method. In working with Mr. Muller, Daniel was the Chief Engineer for the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida, and continued his career getting involved in some of the largest bridge projects in the world. Among those is the H3 Windward Viaduct in Hawaii; the Bangkok Second Stage Expressway, the Bangkok Transit System, the Bang Na Expressway in Thailand; The Confederation Bridge, and the Vancouver Millennium Light Rail in Canada.

In 2000, Daniel Tassin co-founded International Bridge Technologies (IBT), a California-based firm solely dedicated to high-end technical expertise in bridge engineering, where he served as President and Technical Director. After 17 years, IBT joined SYSTRA, a world leader in public transport and mobility solutions. Together, SYSTRA-IBT expands a core capability that offers clients valuable technical service, excellence in innovation, and a strong commitment to safety and ethics. SYSTRA-IBT has engineered many signature bridges such as the Atlantic Bridge in Panama; Puente de la Unidad in Mexico; Pitt River Bridge and Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia; Sound Transit Central Link Light Rail in Seattle, Washington; Abraham Lincoln Bridge and Lewis and Clark Bridge in Louisville, Kentucky; the Second Vivekananda Bridge in India; and the Réseau Express Métropolitain in Montréal, Canada.

Daniel is the recipient of The American Segmental Bridge Institute (ASBI) Leadership Award and the lead author for the ASBI reference document Design and Construction of Concrete Cable-Stayed Bridges. In 2018, he was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering, a prestigious honor recognizing the world’s most accomplished leaders in engineering. He continues to serve as a bridge senior statesman, mentor, and technical resource for the bridge design and construction industry. He is still active in the firm and serves as Senior Technical Advisor for SYSTRA-IBT.

The John A. Roebling Medal presented to Daniel Tassin honors and recognizes his lifetime service of excellence in the structural engineering of many major bridge projects in North America and all over the world. This award also recognizes his commitment and outstanding contribution to the advancement of the structural engineering profession worldwide. We salute Daniel for a medal well deserved!