About department of Roads
The history of Road Department is more than 90 years. This is a significant period not only for the Road Department but also for all Lithuanian road workers its students who are engineers, bachelors and masters.
The Department of Roads has been actively engaged in pedagogical and scientific activities since the first days. Modern, professional lecturers, associate professors and professors work there.
The Department of Roads has been actively engaged in pedagogical and scientific activities since the first days. Modern, professional lecturers, associate professors and professors work there.
History
The official date of Road Department establishment is 12 April, 1922 that is very significant for all Lithuanian road workers. The active pedagogical and scientific activity of Road Department has been started since the very first days. The first head of the department was the associate professor of the Riga Polytechnic Institute Jonas Simoliunas who later became the professor. Juozas Jankevicius, a graduate of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute and Feliksas Dobkevicius, who was the graduate of St. Petersburg University of Technology a private associate professor, also worked in the department.
Communication engineers have not been trained in independent Lithuania. The lecturers of the Department of Roads taught the disciplines of the road and railways to the then-trained broad-profile civil engineers. Construction, road and street disciplines were taught by prof. Jonas Šimoliūnas, railway construction by assoc. prof. Juozas Jankevicius and private assoc. prof. Feliksas Dobkevičius was reading lectures on railway maintenance. Those courses were compulsory for all students in construction. Due to the relatively small lecture load, all lecturers of the department also worked in leading positions in the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
The departments were enlarged in 1930 already at university of Vytautas Magnus. The Road Department also suffered a bit. It was merged with the Department of Geodesy and renamed by the Department of Geodesy and Roads. An extraordinary professor brigadier general Stasys Dirmantas was appointed to lead it.
The Department of Roads, as an independent structure, was reopened in Kaunas University in 1940, when the Soviet government was introduced in Lithuania. The department was then in the new Faculty of Civil Engineering. Professor J. Gabrys was appointed to be the head of department in October, 1940. During the war, when the Soviets came again, Kaunas University in 1944 started operating again, and at the same time the Road Department was restored. There were four pedagogical-scientific employees and the head of department was assoc. prof. Jonas Kiskinas.
The department moved from Kaunas Polytechnic Institute to the new Vilnius Institute of Civil Engineering in 1969 and its history was linked to this school.
Engineer E. Palsaitis worked at the department from 1950 to 1993. Assoc. prof. Linas Vidugiris worked in the department until 1994, from 1962 to 1967 he was head of the Road Department. Professor habilitated doctor Steponas Rokas made a great contribution to road science. After graduating from the institute in 1954, he began working in the department as an assistant. He entered in postgraduate studies in Moscow after which he returned and defended his dissertation and returned to the department. He was the head of the department from 1967 to 1977. In addition, he was the first of the post-war years of the department staff defended his doctoral dissertation in technical sciences (now habilitated doctor) in 1983. Under his leadership, the material base of the Department of Roads improved and young scientists began to grow. For a long time, Assoc. Prof. Vytautas Jasulaitis worked at the Department. He made a significant contribution to solving the problems of road cement concrete production and science. Doctors Henrikas Sausenavicius, Vincas Stragys and engineers Juozas Serys, Stasys Peksys, Anicetas Bagdonas and Gerimantas Tarvydas also worked in the department for a longer or shorter period of time. Many of the above-mentioned employees of the department worked as laboratory assistants.
Within the period of 1984 and1989 the dissertations were defended by prof. Students of S. Rokas: H. Sivilevičius (Moscow), K. Petkevičius (Moscow), K. Skerys (Kharkov), A. Laurinavicius (Moscow), I. Podagelis (Odessa), who successfully worked in the Road Department and its laboratory. Since 1997, dissertation defenses in Vilnius (VGTU) took place practically every year: in 1997. - D. Cygas, 1998 - S. Skrinskas, 2000 - V. Puodziukas, 2003 - D. Zilioniene (the first woman road doctor in Lithuania). 2004 - I. Povilaitienė (the first female railway doctor in Lithuania), 2004 - L. Černiauskaitė, 2005 - A. Braga, 2007 - R. Oginskas and A. Vaitkus, 2009 - L. Juknevičiūtė-Žilinskienė and K. Ratkevičiūtė, 2010 - V. Gintalas, 2011 - V. Vorobjovas and L. Bertulienė, 2012 - D. Mučinis and V. Jasiūnienė, 2013 - F. Tuminienė and L. Žiliūtė, 2014 - M. Paliukaitė, 2016 - V. Ramūnas and R. Kleizienė, 2017 - T. Ratkevičius and L. Jateikienė, 2018 - O. Šernas, 2019 - V. Bielinskas, V. Dumbliauskas, A. Barauskas and J. Gražulytė, 2020 - A. Šiukščius.
Heads of Road Department:
1922–1930 prof. dr Jonas Simoliunas
1930–1940 ekstraordinar prof. Stasys Dirmantas
1940–1944 prof. habil. dr. Juozas Gabrys
1944–1956 assoc. prof. dr Juozas Kiskinas
1956–1962 assoc. prof. dr Stasys Lukosiunas
1962–1967 assoc. prof. dr Linas Vidugiris
1967–1977 assoc. prof. dr Steponas Rokas
1977–1987 assoc. prof. dr Kazys Sakalauskas
1987–1993 Vytautas Jasulaitis
1993–1995 assoc. prof. dr Kazys Sakalauskas
1995–2013 prof. dr Alfredas Laurinavicius
2013–2019 assoc. prof. dr Virgaudas Puodziukas
2019 – until now assoc. prof. dr Viktoras Vorobjovas
Communication engineers have not been trained in independent Lithuania. The lecturers of the Department of Roads taught the disciplines of the road and railways to the then-trained broad-profile civil engineers. Construction, road and street disciplines were taught by prof. Jonas Šimoliūnas, railway construction by assoc. prof. Juozas Jankevicius and private assoc. prof. Feliksas Dobkevičius was reading lectures on railway maintenance. Those courses were compulsory for all students in construction. Due to the relatively small lecture load, all lecturers of the department also worked in leading positions in the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
The departments were enlarged in 1930 already at university of Vytautas Magnus. The Road Department also suffered a bit. It was merged with the Department of Geodesy and renamed by the Department of Geodesy and Roads. An extraordinary professor brigadier general Stasys Dirmantas was appointed to lead it.
The Department of Roads, as an independent structure, was reopened in Kaunas University in 1940, when the Soviet government was introduced in Lithuania. The department was then in the new Faculty of Civil Engineering. Professor J. Gabrys was appointed to be the head of department in October, 1940. During the war, when the Soviets came again, Kaunas University in 1944 started operating again, and at the same time the Road Department was restored. There were four pedagogical-scientific employees and the head of department was assoc. prof. Jonas Kiskinas.
The department moved from Kaunas Polytechnic Institute to the new Vilnius Institute of Civil Engineering in 1969 and its history was linked to this school.
Engineer E. Palsaitis worked at the department from 1950 to 1993. Assoc. prof. Linas Vidugiris worked in the department until 1994, from 1962 to 1967 he was head of the Road Department. Professor habilitated doctor Steponas Rokas made a great contribution to road science. After graduating from the institute in 1954, he began working in the department as an assistant. He entered in postgraduate studies in Moscow after which he returned and defended his dissertation and returned to the department. He was the head of the department from 1967 to 1977. In addition, he was the first of the post-war years of the department staff defended his doctoral dissertation in technical sciences (now habilitated doctor) in 1983. Under his leadership, the material base of the Department of Roads improved and young scientists began to grow. For a long time, Assoc. Prof. Vytautas Jasulaitis worked at the Department. He made a significant contribution to solving the problems of road cement concrete production and science. Doctors Henrikas Sausenavicius, Vincas Stragys and engineers Juozas Serys, Stasys Peksys, Anicetas Bagdonas and Gerimantas Tarvydas also worked in the department for a longer or shorter period of time. Many of the above-mentioned employees of the department worked as laboratory assistants.
Within the period of 1984 and1989 the dissertations were defended by prof. Students of S. Rokas: H. Sivilevičius (Moscow), K. Petkevičius (Moscow), K. Skerys (Kharkov), A. Laurinavicius (Moscow), I. Podagelis (Odessa), who successfully worked in the Road Department and its laboratory. Since 1997, dissertation defenses in Vilnius (VGTU) took place practically every year: in 1997. - D. Cygas, 1998 - S. Skrinskas, 2000 - V. Puodziukas, 2003 - D. Zilioniene (the first woman road doctor in Lithuania). 2004 - I. Povilaitienė (the first female railway doctor in Lithuania), 2004 - L. Černiauskaitė, 2005 - A. Braga, 2007 - R. Oginskas and A. Vaitkus, 2009 - L. Juknevičiūtė-Žilinskienė and K. Ratkevičiūtė, 2010 - V. Gintalas, 2011 - V. Vorobjovas and L. Bertulienė, 2012 - D. Mučinis and V. Jasiūnienė, 2013 - F. Tuminienė and L. Žiliūtė, 2014 - M. Paliukaitė, 2016 - V. Ramūnas and R. Kleizienė, 2017 - T. Ratkevičius and L. Jateikienė, 2018 - O. Šernas, 2019 - V. Bielinskas, V. Dumbliauskas, A. Barauskas and J. Gražulytė, 2020 - A. Šiukščius.
Heads of Road Department:
1922–1930 prof. dr Jonas Simoliunas
1930–1940 ekstraordinar prof. Stasys Dirmantas
1940–1944 prof. habil. dr. Juozas Gabrys
1944–1956 assoc. prof. dr Juozas Kiskinas
1956–1962 assoc. prof. dr Stasys Lukosiunas
1962–1967 assoc. prof. dr Linas Vidugiris
1967–1977 assoc. prof. dr Steponas Rokas
1977–1987 assoc. prof. dr Kazys Sakalauskas
1987–1993 Vytautas Jasulaitis
1993–1995 assoc. prof. dr Kazys Sakalauskas
1995–2013 prof. dr Alfredas Laurinavicius
2013–2019 assoc. prof. dr Virgaudas Puodziukas
2019 – until now assoc. prof. dr Viktoras Vorobjovas
Achievements
Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania, emphasizing long-term pedagogical activity and implementation of the latest scientific and technical achievements using the most advanced technologies, has awarded the following lecturers of Road Department by handing in the “Badge of Honor“:
Assoc. prof. dr E. Palšaitis,
Assoc. prof. dr L. Vidugiris,
Assoc. prof. dr V. Jasulaitis,
Assoc. prof. dr A. A. Juzėnas,
Assoc. prof. dr V. Puodžiukas,
Prof. dr D. Čygas,
Prof. dr A. Laurinavičius,
Assoc. prof. dr K. Sakalauskas,
Prof. dr K. Petkevičius,
Assoc. prof. dr K. Skerys.
Two lecturers of the Road Department Assoc. prof. dr K. Sakalauskas and Assoc. Prof. dr I. Podagėlis were awarded by the "Badge of Honor of a Railwayman" for the long-term and impeccable work, great contribution to the development of railway transport and training of highly qualified railway transport specialists.
Assoc. prof. dr E. Palšaitis,
Assoc. prof. dr L. Vidugiris,
Assoc. prof. dr V. Jasulaitis,
Assoc. prof. dr A. A. Juzėnas,
Assoc. prof. dr V. Puodžiukas,
Prof. dr D. Čygas,
Prof. dr A. Laurinavičius,
Assoc. prof. dr K. Sakalauskas,
Prof. dr K. Petkevičius,
Assoc. prof. dr K. Skerys.
Two lecturers of the Road Department Assoc. prof. dr K. Sakalauskas and Assoc. Prof. dr I. Podagėlis were awarded by the "Badge of Honor of a Railwayman" for the long-term and impeccable work, great contribution to the development of railway transport and training of highly qualified railway transport specialists.
Collaboration
The department has been cooperating with many Lithuanian and other universities and associations for many years:
- Association "Lithuanian Roads" (Lithuania),
- Association of Construction Products and Testing Laboratories (Lithuania),
- Riga Technical University (Latvia),
- Tallinn Technical University (Estonia),
- Wroclaw Technical University (Poland),
- Dresden University of Technology and Economics (Germany),
- Lund University (Sweden),
- Gdansk Technical University (Poland).
The department maintains close relations with the following companies:
- CJSC Alkesta
- CJSC Atamis
- CJSC Biseris
- JSC Dolomitas
- JSC Eurovia Lietuva
- CJSC Fegda
- CJSC YIT Lietuva
- JSC Kauno tiltai
- JSC Kelių priežiūra
- CJSC Kelprojektas
- CJSC Milsa
- CJSC Parama
- ME Susisiekimo paslaugos
- CJSC Šiaulių plentas
- CJSC Telšių keliai
- CJSC Tilsta
- CJSC Urbanistika
- CJSC Viaprojektas
- CJSC Žemaitijos keliai
- CJSC Wirtgen Lietuva
Membership
The staff of the department are members of the following organizations:
- ISAP - International Society for Asphalt Pavements. Members: Donatas Čygas and Alfredas Laurinavičius.
- RILEM - The International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures. Member: Audrius Vaitkus.
- FEHRL - the Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories. Member of the Supervisory Committee and the General Assembly: Audrius Vaitkus.
- PIARC - World Road Association. Member: Donatas Čygas.
- BRA - Baltic Road Association. Member of the Technical Committee Road Pavements: Audrius Vaitkus.
- Vilnius City Municipality, Traffic Safety Commission. Member: Audrius Vaitkus.
- Lithuanian Higher Education Council. Member: Donatas Čygas.
- Lithuanian Union of Scientists. Members: Marija Burinskienė and Alfredas Laurinavičius.
- Technical Union. Member: Marija Burinskienė.
- Lithuanian Union of Civil Engineers. Members: Marija Burinskienė and Alfredas Laurinavičius.
- LSD TC 12 - Technical Committee of the Lithuanian Standardization Department “Automobile Roads”. Member: Viktoras Vorobjovas. Since 2016 - chairman.
- LSD TC 43 - Technical Committee of the Lithuanian Standardization Department “Railway Transport”. Member: Inesa Gailienė.
- International Conference on Road and Rail Infrastructure (CETRA), Member of the International Scientific Committee: Audrius Vaitkus.
- Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering (ISSN 1336-5835): Audrius Vaitkus.
- Member of the Editorial Board of the International Scientific Journal of Advanced Transportation: Daiva Žilionienė.
- Members of the Editorial Board of the International Scientific Journal The Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering (ISSN 1822-427X): Donatas Čygas, Vilma Jasiūnienė, Alfredas Laurinavičius, Dainius Miškinis, Virgaudas Puodžiukas, Audrius Vaitkus, Viktoras Vorobjovas and Daiva Žilionienė.
- Member of the Editorial Board of the International Scientific Journal Architecture and Construction Science (ISSN 1407-7329): Alfredas Laurinavičius.
- Member of the Editorial Board of the International Scientific and Technical Journal Roads and Bridges (ISSN 2225-9082): Alfredas Laurinavičius.
- Member of the Editorial Board of the magazine Lietuvos keliai (ISSN 1392-8678): Alfredas Laurinavičius.
- Member of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of the BCRRA (International Conference on the Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields): Audrius Vaitkus.
- Member of the International Pavement Research Meeting of Transport Research Board International Meeting: Audrius Vaitkus.
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