R. W. Chapman Medal
This award was established in 1935 to perpetuate the memory of Sir Robert William Chapman, KtBach CMG MA BCE MIEAust, Professor of Engineering, University of Adelaide, and his work in the field of structural engineering.
The R. W. Chapman Medal is awarded annually "in recognition of the paper of most outstanding character and originality dealing with the science and/or practice of structural engineering".
The Council of the Institution of Engineers, Australia awarded the medal from 1935 until 1974. The College of Civil Engineers awarded the medal from 1974 until about 1990, as a specialist medal in structural engineering. Since about 1990, when the College of Structural Engineers was formed it has awarded the medal.
The Medal is founded upon a donation made to The Institution, in 1932, by Mr and Mrs. M S Stanley, as an expression of their personal regard for Sir Robert Chapman, KtBach CMG MA BCE MIEAust, Professor of Engineering, University of Adelaide, and of their appreciation of his work in the field of structural engineering.
A list of the currently known recipients of the R. W. Chapman Medal are:
| Year Awarded | Recipient | Paper Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Fernie, Norman and Keating, Reginald | Continuous welding of exposed mains, as applied to the Goldfields Water Supply |
| 1936 | Dumas, Russell and Munt, Victor | The construction of the Canning Dam, Western Australia |
| 1937 | Karmalsky, Vladimir and Britton, Alexander | Three span light suspension bridge over Hastings River at Kindee Crossing |
| 1939 | Holt, James | Story Bridge, Brisbane |
| 1945 | Karmalsky, Vladimir | 438 ft. span welded truss for Hawkesbury River Road Bridge |
| 1948 | Speedie, Milton | Investigation and designs for Eildon Dam enlargement project, Victoria |
| 1953 | Holt, James | Fitzroy River Bridge, Queensland |
| 1956 | Cowan, Henry | Torsion in reinforced and prestressed concrete beams |
| 1957 | O'Connor, Colin | An investigation into residual stresses and the fatigue strength of steel |
| 1959 | Cameron, Ian | Highway bridge foundation practice in Queensland |
| 1963 | Priddle, Raymond | Load distribution in piled bents |
| 1969 | Francis, Arthur | Structural brickwork research in relation to the SAA Brickwork Code |
| 1987 | Endersbee, Lance | Brittle facture in concrete and rocks |
| 2013 | Gad, Emad; Wilson, John and Sivanerupan, Siva | Structural analysis and design of glazed curtain wall systems |
| 2015 | Gad, Emad; Wilson, John; Nguyen, T. and Haritos, N. | Mitigating footfall-induced vibration in long-span floors |
References:
Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Award R. W. Chapman Medal (1935 - ), accessed 11 May 2026.
The Institution of Engineers, Australia, Author and Subject Index of Publications 1920 - 1968.
IEAust Author Index of Publications 1920-1968 (18 MB)
IEAust Subject Index of Publications 1920-1968 (23 MB)
