UW civil engineering graduate, 1964, Fred Salsbury

Alumni Focus – Fred Salsbury, B.S.C.E. 1964

January 21, 2008 - We are pleased to introduce an outstanding UW Alumnus Fred Salsbury, a 1964 civil engineering graduate. His early career involved consulting work in municipal engineering. In the early 1970s, he ventured into the public sector which proved to be his niche, as he is very gifted at working with people to get the job done. He went on to get a master’s degree in public administration at Hamline University in Minneapolis in 1991.

Salsbury has been commended on numerous occasions throughout his career for various projects. On one such project he served as project manager of a complete renovation and upgrade of a building into a community service center. Another project, which was implemented successfully in every city he served, involved the cross-training of all employees in the Public Works Department which resulted in greater efficiency throughout the department’s various segments, better utilization of man power, greater employee satisfaction, and cost effectiveness. He has been active in local, state, and national public works organizations throughout his career and has mentored five engineers-in-training to the successful attainment of their PE status.

Most recently, Salsbury worked with a very responsive and supportive City Council in Waseca, Minnesota, who allowed him to try something new—a fly ash treatment to rebuild streets at approximately 40-50% of the normal cost of reconstruction. This innovation has been followed closely by the State of Minnesota, as well as surrounding states, and by public works directors at the state, county, township, and city levels. A local road research board grant was provided to allow further research on this fly ash treatment. The City of Waseca conducted follow-up deflection testing to monitor strength annually following the trial in 2002. City officials are especially interested in the success of this endeavor because of the tremendous cost savings and how this discovery could revolutionize the way streets are reconstructed in the future.

This discovery results in a win-win situation – environmentally, economically, structurally, and publically. It wins environmentally as it uses waste material. It wins economically as it saves tax payers’ dollars while winning structurally by providing a stronger street. It wins with adjacent property owners because it shortens the time during which they are denied access to their property during the reconstruction process. Although there may be additional years before success can be proclaimed, tests to date are very encouraging.

Salsbury has shared his project with several groups and agencies, including the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association at their National Convention in October, 2004. He serves as the Technical Advisory Liaison for the Local Road Research Board related to this fly ash treatment grant. He was recently appointed by the Lt. Governor of Minnesota to serve as a board member of the Local Road Research Board which provides research grants for transportation-related issues in Minnesota.

City engineers are watching long-term results carefully to monitor the outcome of stress using fly ash. Most recently, U.S. Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota assigned one of his aides to gather data toward the possible goal of seeking governmental funds to finance the construction of additional streets to enlarge the research base.