Ronald Faller, Ph.D., P.E.
Contact Information:
130R WHIT
City Campus (Lincoln)
(402) 472-6864
Director - Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
Academic Degrees
- Ph.D., Structural Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1998
- M.S., Structural Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1989
- B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1986
Curriculum Vitae (CV):
Areas of Research and Professional Interest
Structural Engineering
Transportation Safety Engineering
Roadside Safety Hardware and Design
Vehicle Containment Systems
Energy Management
Product Development
Motorsports Safety
Force Protection, Physical Security, and Threat Mitigation
Impact Testing
Research Profiles:
In the News: Powered by the 
May 31, 2018:
MwRSF team earns SAE award for SAFER barrier
May 31, 2018:
NASCAR drivers to visit MwRSF June 5
Apr 20, 2016:
MwRSF pleased with test of concrete barrier
Honors and Awards
- Best Paper Award - "Development, Crash Testing, and Evaluation of Steel-Post, Trailing-End, Guardrail Anchorage System", 2021
- Kenneth A. Stonex Roadside Safety Award, 2020
- Best Paper Award - "Development of a Test Level 4, Side-Mounted, Steel-Tube Bridge Rail", 2020
- Best Paper Award - "Development of a 34-In. Tall Thrie Beam Guardrail Transition to Accommodate Future Roadway Overlays", 2019
- Best Paper Award - "Development of a Standardized Buttress for Approach Guardrail Transitions", 2018
- SAE John Melvin Motorsport Safety Award, 2017
- IRSC Best Overall Paper Award - "Initial Developments Supporting a Roadside Tree Removal Marketing Campaign", 2017
- IRSC Practical Paper Award - "A Synthesis of MASH-Tested, 31-In. Tall, Non-Proprietary, W-Beam Guardrail System", 2017
- IRSC Best New Innovation Award - "Development of a MASH TL-2 Crashworthy Pedestrian Railing System", 2017
- Best Paper Award - "Standard Midwest Guardrail System Placed at 1V:2H Slope Break Point or with Omitted Post", 2017
- Best Paper Award - "MASH TL-4 Design and Evaluation of a Restorable Energy-Absorbing Concrete Barrier", 2016
- Best Paper Award - "Safety Investigation and Guidance for Retrofitting Existing Approach Guardrail Transitions", 2014
- Best Paper Award - "Development and Implementation of the Simplified MGS Stiffness Transition", 2012
- Best Paper Award - "Development of a Low-Cost, Energy-Absorbing, Bridge Rail", 2011
- Best Paper Award - "Midwest Guardrail System Adjacent to a 2:1 Slope", 2008
- Best Paper Award - "Midwest Guardrail System for Long Span Culvert Applications", 2007
- Better Roads Magazine Top Rollout Award - "MGS Barrier System", 2006
- Best Paper Award - "Midwest Guardrail System for Standard and Special Applications", 2004
- Inaugural Pioneering and Innovation Award, 2004
- Pocono Raceway Bill France, Sr., Award of Excellence, 2004
- Herb Porter Indianapolis Memorial Motor Speedway Award, 2004
- NASCAR Bill France, Jr., Award of Excellence, 2003
- R&D Top 100 Award, 2003
- SEMA Motorsports Engineering Award, 2002
- Best of What's New Award for Top 100 Technical Innovations, 2002
- 36th Annual Louis Schwitzer Award, 2002
- Best Paper Award - "Compliance Testing of a Bullnose Median Barrier System", 2002
- Federal Highway Administration Safety Award, 1996
- Best Paper Award - "Performance Level 1 Bridge Railings for Timber Decks", 1993
Selected Publications
Analysis of Existing Work Zone Sign Supports using MASH Safety Performance Criteria published in, 2011
Development of a Low-Cost, Energy-Absorbing Bridge Rail published in Transportation Research Record, 2011
Design and Testing of Two Bridge Railings for Transverse Nail-Laminated Timber Deck Bridges published in Transportation Research Record, 2011
Non-Blocked, Midwest Guardrail System for Gabion Wall Applications published in Transportation Research Record, 2011
Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of Roadside Culvert Treatments published in Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, 2011
Head Ejection during Barrier Impacts published in Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, 2011
Analysis of Existing Work-Zone Devices with MASH Safety Performance Criteria published in ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, 2010
Development and Evaluation of the Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) Placed Adjacent to a 2:1 Fill Slope published in Transportation Research Report, 2010
Dynamic Evaluation of a Pinned Anchoring System for New York State's Temporary Concrete Barriers - Phase II published in New York State Department of Transportation Research Report, 2010
New Test Level 2 Rough Stone Masonry Guardwall published in Transportation Research Record 2195, 2010
Performance Evaluation of Type II and Type IIA Box Beam End Terminals - Volume II: Appendices published in New York State Department of Transportation Research Report, 2010
Performance Evaluation of Type II and Type IIA Box Beam End Terminals - Volume I: Research Results and Discussion published in New York State Department of Transportation Research Report, 2010
Termination and Transition of Temporary Concrete Barriers published in Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Mtg, 2010
Safety Investigation and Guidance for Work-Zone Devices in Freight Transportation Systems Subjected to Passenger Car and Truck Impacts with New Crash Standards published in MATC Final Report, 2010
New Test Level 2 Rough Stone Masonry Guardwall published in Transportation Research Record, 2010
Inertial Effects During Impact Testing published in Transportation Research Record 2120, 2009
Development of a Low-Cost, Energy-Absorbing Bridge Rail published in Transportation Research Record, 2011
Design and Testing of Two Bridge Railings for Transverse Nail-Laminated Timber Deck Bridges published in Transportation Research Record, 2011
Non-Blocked, Midwest Guardrail System for Gabion Wall Applications published in Transportation Research Record, 2011
Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of Roadside Culvert Treatments published in Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, 2011
Head Ejection during Barrier Impacts published in Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, 2011
Analysis of Existing Work-Zone Devices with MASH Safety Performance Criteria published in ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, 2010
Development and Evaluation of the Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) Placed Adjacent to a 2:1 Fill Slope published in Transportation Research Report, 2010
Dynamic Evaluation of a Pinned Anchoring System for New York State's Temporary Concrete Barriers - Phase II published in New York State Department of Transportation Research Report, 2010
New Test Level 2 Rough Stone Masonry Guardwall published in Transportation Research Record 2195, 2010
Performance Evaluation of Type II and Type IIA Box Beam End Terminals - Volume II: Appendices published in New York State Department of Transportation Research Report, 2010
Performance Evaluation of Type II and Type IIA Box Beam End Terminals - Volume I: Research Results and Discussion published in New York State Department of Transportation Research Report, 2010
Termination and Transition of Temporary Concrete Barriers published in Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Mtg, 2010
Safety Investigation and Guidance for Work-Zone Devices in Freight Transportation Systems Subjected to Passenger Car and Truck Impacts with New Crash Standards published in MATC Final Report, 2010
New Test Level 2 Rough Stone Masonry Guardwall published in Transportation Research Record, 2010
Inertial Effects During Impact Testing published in Transportation Research Record 2120, 2009