Richard Lampo (M.S. Chemistry, ’79), St. Joseph, Ill., recently won the R&D 100 Award, which each year selects the top 100 innovations worldwide. He was part of a team that developed an all-thermoplastic composite bridge made of waste plastic and automotive bumper scraps which includes a novel I-beam design. The first bridge, installed at Fort Bragg, N.C., can support loads of more than 70 tons, including the Abrams tank. The team also was presented the Editor’s Choice Award by R&D Magazine as one of the top three innovations. Lampo accepted the awards at a ceremony in Orlando, Fla.

 Lampo is a materials engineer at the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in Champaign. He specializes in research and standards development for recycled plastic construction materials, remote monitoring for structural health, and demolition waste reduction at military installations.