Event

Steel Bridges -New Trends. CEE Faculty Candidate Seminar - Dr. Atorod Azizinamini

Monday, March 26, 2007
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
CEE Conference Room (1179 Glenn L. Martin Hall)
Oscar Velasco
301 405 7768
ovelasco@umd.edu

STEEL BRIDGES - NEW TRENDS

Abstract

Current trends in steel bridge design and construction are rooted in the industry's history. Present trends are heavily influenced by past experiences, failures and competitions. Highway bridge design is rooted in the railway industry; some of the design provisions used today are carry-overs from old railway practices. Major brittle collapses of steel bridges in the 60’s and 70’s have defined our thinking about the characteristics of the new steel that we wish to use in designing and constructing bridges. The competition provided by alternate material has necessitated change, both in design philosophy and bridge details. Paying more attention to public safety has resulted in design codes that are extremely detailed and specific.

Currently, we are in the middle of very challenging and exciting times within the history of steel bridges. Changes are taking place at a rapid pace. The development of High Performance Steel (HPS) is perhaps one of the most important events in the steel bridge industry in the U.S. One could possibly say that the development of HPS was a response to the development of High Performance Concrete (HPC) in the mid 80’s. Nevertheless, the development of HPS in the early 90’s provided an opportunity for the steel industry to capture a portion of the market that was rapidly being lost to alternative materials -- a trend that started when prestressed concrete was introduced in the mid 50’s. However, as is the case with any new material, there was a need to develop new design provisions before HPS could be used in practice. As a result, the steel industry developed a very coordinated and successful plan to address a variety of design and construction issues related to HPS. This included extending the applicability of existing design provisions to HPS where possible, attempting to simplify the code, and most importantly, developing new steel bridge systems and construction technologies that would favor steel bridges. The Federal Government has played an important role in this process by promoting and continuing to develop new programs and incentives for states to use HPS in bridge design and construction.

This presentation will provide an overview of major research studies that were undertaken to address a societal issue while also helping the steel industry in its growth and development. The presentation focus is on work related to the effort to make HPS an acceptable and safe construction material. The presentation will also elaborate on future directions that we might expect to see in the field of bridge engineering in the U.S.

about the speaker

Atorod Azizinamini, Ph.D., P.E.

Dr. Atorod Azizinamini is a professor in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). He is also Director of the National Bridge Research Organization (NaBRO) at UNL. He joined UNL after working six years in private industry. From 2000 through 2006, he chaired the ASCE Bridge Technical Activity Committee, overseeing the activities of all ASCE Bridge Committees. He is a member of a number of bridge committees, including the AISI Steel Bridge Task Force, providing technical advice to the AASHTO T-14 committee. He is a member of the FHWA advisory group, helping to shape the future research direction of High Performance Steel. He has served as chairman and co-chairman of a number of major national and international bridge conferences. He is the co-chairman of the upcoming FHWA Accelerated Bridge Construction Conference to be held in December 2007 in Baltimore, Maryland. He has taught more than 40 short courses in the design of steel bridges to design professionals. His primary research interest is in the area of steel bridges, development of innovative bridge systems and accelerated bridge construction. He holds two patents related to innovative steel bridges. He has also conducted major research studies related to seismic response of reinforced and composite buildings and bridges. Findings from his research studies have been incorporated into governing building and bridge codes. Under a research contract, he is currently serving as an advisor to the Republic of Korea for implementing advanced materials in Korean bridge design and construction. He is a registered professional engineer in the States of Nebraska and Montana.

Audience: Public