Awards
Awards
The Institution of Engineers, Australia
In recognition of his long and diverse experience as a professional engineer and Member of the I.E.Aust., Rob was invited in 1995 to become a Fellow of the Institute.
Salon International Des Inventions
Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards 1991
1996 Australasian Steel Bridge Awards
Stylish Footbridge, designed by Rob Wallace and constructed by his company, Waldren Bridges, was one of the finalists amongst all contenders across Australia and New Zealand. It’s attractive old- fashioned slender appearance disguises the fact that it has full highway load capacity and carries underneath a full range of services – phone, water, sewage pipes. These presented several problems adding to other complications such as access limitations, power lines, flooding, not to mention time constraints.
Rob’s design proposal was selected from 24 submissions received by the City Wangaratta and Waldren Bridges was awarded the contract in October 1994. Design and construction was fast-tracked, resulting in the bridge being completed within 12 weeks, opening in January 1995.
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Following completion of studies at RMIT in 1995 and receiving his diploma Rob embarked on a career as a professional design engineer.
Medals
Gold Medal, awarded at the 22nd International Exhibition of Inventions, Switzerland 1994 for:
BHP Australian Steel Awards 1993
Soon after its inception, EASY SEAT received Australian and International awards as a far more effective automotive swivel seat mechanism, enabling less-able people and their carers access to vehicles. Designed by Rob Wallace, EASY SEAT is a compact, sturdy ball-race mechanism capable of being fitted under most passenger car seats enabling them to swivel 90 degrees and extend out through the doorway. A unique feature of the patented mechanism was that, although completely contained beneath the seat, its virtual centre of rotation was offset – such that the seat pivots around the door pillar.
Highly Commended Certificate
Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards, 1991
Waldren Bridges received this award “In Recognition of Excellence in Engineering Achievement”, for its Quikdek Bridge Deck Slabs. The modular Quikdek system was a novel, practical solution which gave a new lease of life to many timber bridges, by replacing the deteriorated and timber decks on an otherwise sound substructure. During the course of re-decking many such bridges, Rob introduced a number of innovations, such as special lifting and positioning devices which enabled deck units to be placed accurately, speedily and safely. In most cases decks could be replaced at the rate of one span per day.
