History of Presentations

Presentation Topic:

This one-hour presentation will cover lessons learned collected over 30 years across multiple infrastructure, commercial, heavy industrial and power projects from across the world.  The lessons learned cover concrete materials, design and construction aspects.  Some emerging trends for future construction are also highlighted. 

Presenter Biography:

Javeed is a Senior Principal Engineer and Fellow at Bechtel.  He serves as the lead Corporate Concrete Structures Specialist across Bechtel enterprise in terms of setting standards for quality, efficiency, automation and innovation in concrete construction. He is a recognized industry expert with over 35 years of experience in materials, design, evaluation, construction and repair of concrete involving infrastructure (buildings, bridges, tunnels), heavy industrial (fossil, nuclear and renewable), prestressed and post-tensioned structures and environmental concrete structures (water/waste water treatment facilities). Javeed has actively contributed to the practice of reinforced concrete design and construction including through Codes/Standards development, publications and education for over 30 years. He has provided pro-active leadership in many technical committees/societies of repute such as ACI and ASME. He has contributed to 7 books and over 70 papers. He is a licensed professional engineer in states of MD, WI and NY and licensed structural engineer in IL.  He is also Fellow of ACI, Fellow of ASCE and Fellow of SEI.

Presentation Topic:

The presentation will showcase strategies used in the development of a cost-effective design and construction that allowed this bridge to be designed, approved, and constructed within 24 months. Discussions will include the approaches in the design to address durability and construction techniques that accelerated the construction.

The Harry W. Nice / Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge over the Potomac River replaces an existing 1.9-mile, two-lane undivided bridge with a new 61-foot-wide bridge superstructure, with four 12-foot-wide lanes, and a center median to increase traffic capacity, improve safety and facilitate access for maintenance and wide-load vehicles. The new bridge was designed and constructed to cost effectively balance the number of spans against the number of the supporting piers. The design leveraged a combination of prestressed concrete girders in the low- and high-level approach spans towards the main channel long spans with haunched steel girders providing a 250-foot wide by 135-foot-high navigational channel. The substructure and foundations vary from pile bents to concrete columns and caps on waterline footings, all using prestressed concrete piles. The design approach provided a simple and repetitive structure, which increased construction efficiency, allowing the design and construction to be completed within 24 months.

Presenter Biographies:

Steve is a Project Manager at AECOM in Hunt Valley, Maryland.  He has over 36 years of experience designing and rehabilitating many different types of bridges and other transportation structures. He has had the opportunity to work on major bridge projects around the country, including the New Harry W. Nice / Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge. Steve is a registered professional engineer in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia, and is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he has received both his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and his Master of Science degrees.

Brian Wolfe is the Director of Project Development for MDTA where he oversees programs and projects developed out of MDTA’s White Marsh Office, including the I-95 Express Toll Lanes Northbound Extension Program and the Nice/Middleton Bridge Replacement Design/Build project. Nationally, he represents MDTA at the AASHTO/National Steel Bridge Alliance Collaboration, where he is a member of several task groups. Brian is also a member of the Executive Committee for the International Bridge Conference where he assists with developing the technical sessions and workshops. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Penn State and a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Maryland.  Brian is a licensed Professional Engineer in the states of Maryland, Virginia and Ohio.

Presentation Topic:

The presentation will focus on the California High-Speed Rail overview. California's high-speed rail will connect the mega-regions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs and preserve agricultural and protected lands. The system will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations. In addition, the Authority is working with regional partners to implement a state-wide rail modernization plan that will invest billions of dollars in local and regional rail lines to meet the state’s 21st-century transportation needs.

Presenter Biography:

In his role as Supervising Transportation Engineer at the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority), Amit serves as the Project Manager on the Merced to Madera project section. In this role he manages approximately 39-mile project section including 40 structures with three long viaducts and 30 miles of embankment.

Before his time at the Authority, Amit worked as a Senior Dam Safety Engineer at the California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams. Prior to that, Amit served as a Bridge Engineer at Caltrans, Office of Bridge Design South. 

Amit has a Master of Science degree from the University of California, Davis in Structural Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the College of Engineering Pune, India. He is currently the President of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Sacramento Capital Branch and a board member of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Sustainability Committee and SEI Business Practices Committee. 

Amit is the recipient of ASCE’s prestigious Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement in 2021 and Young Government Civil Engineer of the Year Award in 2022.

Amit aspires to be a future leader in the public sector and wants to contribute towards building a sustainable transportation infrastructure in California for the future generation.

Presentation Topic:

A high level overview of the state of the US offshore wind market including Ørsted’s Skipjack Wind project, the history of offshore wind development from a structural point of view, and the main analysis and key boundary conditions for design.

Presenter Biography:

Zach Finucane is the Senior Lead Specialist, EAD of US Power Generation, EPC & Operations, Ørsted.  Previously served as Foundations Package Manager for Deepwater Wind, where he was responsible for managing the design, fabrication, and installation of the structures that support the wind turbines. Prior to Deepwater Wind, Zach was a Structural Engineer and Project Manager at Keystone Engineering, where he led the design team for Deepwater Wind’s Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm. Zach earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tulane University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland.

Presentation Topic:

Reinforced Earth will present the applications and design methodology of mechanically stabilized earth walls.

Presenter Biography:

Keith Brabant, P.E. is the Chief Operating Officer for The Reinforced Earth Company (RECo), based in Sterling, Virginia. Keith began in RECo’s engineering department in 1995, and has since held positions in engineering management, project management, sales and VP of Engineering. For over four years he served as Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager, in which he handled sales for Maryland projects. Keith earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering at George Washington University, and his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at NC State University.

Joe Harris is the Regional Manager for The Reinforced Earth Company’s (RECo) Mid-Atlantic region, based in Sterling, Virginia. Since 2014 he has handled sales and other requests for projects in Maryland, DC, Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Joe began with RECo in 2001 as a Project Manager for the Mid-Atlantic region. He earned a B.S. in Physics from The University of Pittsburgh, as well as an MBA from Old Dominion University.

Presentation Topic:

The SE2050 Commitment Program has been developed by the Structural Engineering Institute to achieve the goal that “All structural engineers shall understand, reduce, and ultimately eliminate carbon in their projects by 2050.”  Are you thinking about signing your firm up to join the SE2050 Commitment Program, but unsure of the concrete steps you need to take?  This presentation is created to help you understand, from one working engineer’s perspective, what it takes to join the movement.  You will learn the initial steps, the internal discussions you need to have, the amount of work you are committing yourself to, and how to create an ECAP – that’s an Embodied Carbon Action Plan – that is tailored to your company.

Presenter Biography:

Nicole is currently an Associate Principal at Hope Furrer Associates, Inc, in Towson, MD.  She has been designing building structures for companies in the Baltimore area since her graduation from the Pennsylvania State University Architectural Engineering program in 2001.  Nicole is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and was a founding member of the Structural Engineering Institute Maryland Chapter (SEI-MD).  She served many roles including board member positions for SEI-MD before joining SEI’s leadership at a national level.  She currently serves as the Past Chair of the Local Activities Division Executive Committee, and as Chair of the Buildings Group for the National Technical Review Committee, which recommends content for SEI’s annual Structures Congress.  Like many structural engineers, she has historically left sustainability decisions to others on the design team.  She became aware of SE2050 through her involvement in Structures Congress planning, but did not give serious thought to joining the movement at first.  However, as she learned more and more about the movement, and client demands exposed her to the idea of reducing carbon emissions in her designs, she realized that structural engineering companies of all sizes could indeed support SE2050 in an impactful way that strives towards a decreased carbon footprint over time.  She garnered the support of the leadership at her company and together, she and her co-workers took the plunge to join SE2050 in 2022.  She hopes to pass along her experience to other engineers that are on the fence about getting involved.

Presentation Topic:

Hillis Carnes brings 30 years of experience to your most challenging commercial, residential and industrial projects — plus cutting-edge equipment and techniques that lead to innovative and cost-effective recommendations that you won’t find anywhere else. We have advanced capabilities in geotechnical and geostructural engineering, environmental consulting, specialty construction, construction materials engineering and testing, and third-party inspections.

Julie Everd will discuss Hillis-Carnes' services and a few unique projects where their expertise contributed to project success.

Presentation Topic:

This course will discuss considerations for the holistic design and construction of durable, long-lasting structures that are sustainable, safe and resilient. A building's primary goal is to protect the lives, lifestyles and livelihoods of its occupants. Precast concrete has numerous qualities that can help buildings perform efficiently and offer occupants and communities healthy, flexible and useful spaces that can be effectively utilized over many years. Attendees will have the chance to see and hear case studies of projects that used precast concrete for durability, resilience, and sustainability, and examine important qualities and attributes to consider when specifying the material.

Presenter Biography:

Dawn serves as the executive director for the PCI Mid-Atlantic Chapter. She is responsible for association management with key emphasis on educational, technical and marketing promotion of solutions to advance the design, manufacture and use of precast/prestressed concrete products in the Mid-Atlantic region.  

Dawn has 27 years of progressive sales, marketing, R&D, and executive leadership experience.

Presentation Topic:

DN Tanks is a design-build contractor that provides turnkey design and construction services for AWWA D110 prestressed concrete tanks in the water,wastewater, stormwater, and industrial markets. DN Tanks recently completed construction of two 6.8-million-gallon fresh water tanks in Guilford, and two tanks with 46 million-gallons total capacity in Druid for Baltimore City. DN Tanks is currently completing construction of two 25-million-gallon fresh water tanks at Ashburton. The presentation will review the design details and construction procedures that have proven AWWA D110 prestressed concrete tanks to be a durable, permanent product.

Presentation Topic:

FHWA is working with many national stakeholders to deploy BIM for Infrastructure and open data standards within the transportation and highway industry. This presentation will share the strategic efforts underway and the benefits expected from a more robust implementation of BIM.

Presenter Biography:

David is a Senior Construction and Project Management Engineer providing national leadership and technical assistance to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and its stakeholders. He is responsible for deploying innovative practices related to BIM for Infrastructure (BIMfI), digital project delivery, construction automation and alternative contracting methods.

David has significant technical expertise with “smart construction”, as well as expertise with business practices for successful implementation. He currently leads the FHWA Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative for “Digital As-Builts” and previously led EDC initiatives for “3D Engineered Models for Construction” and alternative contracting methods. David assisted with development of FHWA's National Strategic Roadmap for Advancing BIMfI, as well as the planning for the Global Benchmarking Study for BIM Practices in Highway Infrastructure. He is also the FHWA liaison for several national research projects and an advisor to several FHWA internal research projects.

He serves on the Transportation Research Board committees for Project Delivery Methods and for Construction Management, and on the BuildingSmart U.S. Committee for Education and Awareness.

David has been with FHWA for 30 years holding various engineering and leadership positions in 9 states. He is a Professional engineer with degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida and Purdue University. 

Presenter Biography:

Lisa began her career working as an intern in architecture. Then after receiving her Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Civil Engineering: Construction Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she transitioned into construction management working for 10 years with two Chicago based general contractors. When she joined AISC the Certification Department in 2012,she lead the development of the Governing Requirements for Certification Programs and continues to oversee their growth while managing the certification process from application to certification.

Presentation Topic:

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Quality Management Systems(QMS) Certification sets the quality standard and is the most recognized program for structural steel fabrication and erection. We will explore the hurdles that fabricators and erectors face to obtain and maintain AISC Certification, and we will also discuss how specifying a certified company will benefit your project and reduce your overall project risk.

Presenter Biography:

Paul McCullough received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering, specializing in structures, from the University of Florida.  Paul’s professional experience encompasses structural design, construction defect investigation, construction management, conflict resolution, and construction/ development feasibility studies.  The emphasis of Paul’s structural design experience consists of segmental bridge design, municipal building design, custom residential design, and seismic retrofit analysis for historical buildings.  Paul functioned as Operations Manager for a construction and development company prior to serving as Founder and Principal of a development services company.  As Principal, Paul provided clients with a full suite of construction management and development services, including on-site construction management, design solutions, financial feasibility studies, dispute resolution, contract compliance, critical path analysis, and project charter evaluation.  Paul performs investigations relating to construction defects, structural failures and collapses, and wind and flood damage.

Presentation Topic:

Whether it be a report on a deteriorated bridge, a pipe break, or a condemned building, infrastructure failures are a somewhat common sight on the evening news.  Depending on the failure, a forensic engineer is called to investigate what happened and why.  This presentation will highlight case studies of infrastructure failures and discuss the role of the forensic engineer.  This discussion will cover the forensic engineer’s scope, procedures and tools to complete an investigation, and some of the more typical failure modes.

Presentation Topic:

This course focuses on giving the attendee a basic understanding of what Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) is and its uses in construction. The attendee will learn why there are benefits for concrete to be reinforced with GFRP and what applications make the most sense for its use. The pros and cons, as well as common misconceptions of the product, will be covered. Additionally, differences in designing concrete structures with FRP based on the design guide from ACI 440.1 will be covered. 

Presentater Biography:

Dr. Aaron Fisher has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland and a B.S. in Chemistry from Duke University. He is currently the Vice President of Business Development for Ernest Maier; a family-owned company. Dr. Fisher is responsible for PaveDrain a heavy duty, low-maintenance permeable pavement and fiberglass rebar, a stronger, more sustainable, corrosion-proof alternative to steel rebar. Dr. Fisher has a deep technical background in all aspects of sustainability. He has served as a contractor to several programmatic offices within the U.S. Department of Energy- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office. He has also led the innovation program at Water Research Foundation on behalf of wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water utilities across the United States. 

Presentation Biography:

Vicki Stewart, Chief of the Concrete Technology Division, has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Towson University. She has thirty-seven plus years of experience with the State of Maryland in Quality Assurance of highway and bridge construction, and management.  During her career, she has published articles in Roads and Bridges magazine and Waste Water  Management magazine.  Vicki is a member of the Maryland Chapter of ACI and sits on many committees for ASTM, including the Executive Board for C01 Cement/C09 Concrete and Aggregates. She is also a member of the American Chemical Society.  She is co-chairperson of the Maryland Annual Concrete Conference.

Presentation Topic:

This webinar includes information on the typical application, design, and specification for structural slide bearings in all industries. It will discuss PTFE slide bearings, elastomeric, high temperature, and HLMR bearings including Pots and Discs. Engineers will leave the presentation well educated on which type of bearing to apply in various structural applications.

Presentation Topic:

In his own fashion, Allyn Kilsheimer, PE of KCE Structural Engineers, PC will discuss warning signs of collapses and the various collapses for structures of all kinds that he’s been called to look at all over the county over the last 54 years.

Speaker Biography:

Allyn E. Kilsheimer, PE has served as President and CEO of KCE Structural Engineers, PC since founding the firm in 1969 and as Executive Vice-President of its sister company, KTLH Engineers, PC since 1995.

Since 1969, Mr. Kilsheimer’s structural design work has encompassed a broad range of project types, including high-rise office buildings, commercial and industrial projects, residential and hotel complexes, clinical and medical research facilities, military facilities and embassies throughout the United States and overseas totaling over $49 billion in construction cost. In addition to traditional design work, he has developed the expertise and ability to respond to disasters (both natural and man-made) that require immediate emergency structural shoring, stabilization, selective demolition, and reconstruction.

Mr. Kilsheimer has provided consultation services on over three hundred matters involving investigation, analysis, arbitration and/or litigation for catastrophic failure analysis and/or recovery for projects involving failures caused by fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, explosions, bombs, terrorist activities, human error, and defective materials.  

On September 11, 2001, within minutes of the terrorist attacks, Mr. Kilsheimer was called for help from both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He realized that little could be done in New York to stabilize the buildings and secure them from catastrophic collapse, so he immediately responded to the Pentagon to begin emergency stabilization, rescue assistance, determination of extent of demolition, and required techniques. His efforts continued night and day in the midst of the crash debris and fire-flare ups. He became the Design Team Prime Professional, lead Structural Engineer, and the Owner’s Representative. The design and construction team achieved the reconstruction of over 1,000,000 GSF of damaged and re-built structure within 11 months, ahead of schedule and under budget. 

Presentation Topic:

This presentation will provide a detailed look at the structural design processes associated with a variety of mass timber products, including glued-laminated timber (glulam), cross-laminated timber (CLT), and nail-laminated timber (NLT). Applications for the use of these products in gravity force-resisting systems under modern building codes will be discussed. Other technical topics will include mass timber floor panel vibration criteria, connection options and design considerations, and an introduction to lateral systems common in mass timber buildings. Mass timber framing components are often left exposed to act as a finish while taking advantage of their aesthetics. As such, they are often required to provide a fire-resistance rating demonstrating their ability to maintain structural integrity in the event of a fire. This session will also discuss structural design of mass timber elements under fire conditions.

Speaker Biography:

John is a licensed Structural Engineer in Maryland. Before joining Woodworks, he enjoyed working on various projects in the capital region for clients like the Smithsonian Institute and The National Parks Service, collaborating with architects and other engineers along the way. John is a member of Engineers Without Borders, enjoys woodworking in his free time, and is passionate about the sustainable aspects of wood construction. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and a Master of Civil Engineering Degree from Johns Hopkins University with a focus in structural engineering.

Presentation Topic:

Solving challenging foundation issues requires close coordination of the project’s structural designers and the geotechnical designers.  We will explore the subsurface challenges of three projects to review the critical interaction between the below grade and above grade structure and the value provided when the team works together. The first will address coordination and interaction of battered piles in a karstic environment, the second the impact of non structure loading on ground conditions and building performance, and the final one will look at the challenges of designing and building an 85 ft tall retaining wall.  Unforeseen conditions are right around the corner when the project team is not working together.

Speaker Biography:

Allen Cadden, P.E., D.GE is a Principal with Schnabel Engineering, Inc in Chadds Ford, PA where he provide senior leadership to the company's GeoStructural and Infrastructure Monitoring Services.  Mr. Cadden received his BSCE and Masters of Engineering from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia and is a licensed engineer in ten states. He is an active member of several ASCE, ADSC and DFI technical Committees and a Past President of the Geo-Institute of ASCE and the International Society for Micropiles and is currently a Trustee for the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI). 

Presentation Topic:

The design and construction of reinforced concrete floor systems have evolved over the decades to offer designers an array of options that maximize material efficiency for a variety of functional building configurations and applications. The presentation investigates 7 major site-cast reinforced concrete floor systems and highlights which ones are well-suited for different building types and uses. The presenter will discuss the unique aspects across the various systems as well as the benefits common to them all.

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the 7 major types of reinforced concrete floor systems

2. Determine the influencing factors that drives a system’s selection.

3. Compare the appropriate floor systems for different live loads and span lengths to select the best options for functional and economic considerations.

4. Source the technical information necessary to make informed design choices on an array of structural flooring systems. 

Presentation Topic:

This presentation will focus on The Delaware US-301 corridor project test pile program case study where a test pile program was used to optimize design and provide project cost savings. This project involves construction of a new four lane highway from the Maryland-Delaware line to South of the C and D Canal. The Project involved construction of 29 bridges, several conventional retaining walls, and Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls. A design phase test pile program was conducted to assist the design team in selection of the most economical pile type for these structures and the design geotechnical soil resistance. 

The following types of piles were evaluated as part of this test program: HP14x73 steel pile, 355 mm square prestressed concrete pile, 355 mm diameter open and closed end pipe piles, and a 355 mm diameter Monotube pile. The variation in the axial capacities and drivability of these pile types will be presented, and the effects of soil set up, relaxation, development of pile plug on the drivability, and long-term capacity of these piles will be compared. Pile capacities predicted using static analysis methods will be compared against the field measured capacities obtained. 

Speaker Biography:

Gunaratnam Gnana, PE., a Principal with D.W. Kozera, Inc., is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where he received his MS degree in Civil Engineering.  Mr. Gnana is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. As a research assistant at Johns Hopkins University, Mr. Gnana assisted in developing a numerical method to back-calculate dynamic soil properties from Lateral Statnamic Test data. Mr. Gnana is proficient in Support of Excavation design methods, deep foundation analysis and testing, geotechnical instrumentation and numerical modeling and analysis.

Presentation Topic:

The American Society of Civil Engineers standard, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7), contains minimum loads and associated criteria for the design of buildings and other structures. The 2022 edition of ASCE 7, a revision of the 2016 edition, will be published in December of 2021. This presentation will describe the process used to update the standard and highlight some of the changes. The presenter served as the Chair of the Dead & Live Load Subcommittee (DLSC) during the 2022 revision cycle and will present the update process through the lens of the DLSC activities, including how potential changes are initially discussed and then developed into formal proposals, the voting process, and the interplay between subcommittees and the main committee. The presentation will also highlight some of the changes in the 2022 edition. This edition includes a whole new chapter on Tornado loads, changes to the snow load provisions including an update of the snow load map, and changes to the seismic design requirements.

Speaker Biographies:

Cole Graveen has 19 years of structural engineering experience in structural analysis, field investigation, nondestructive evaluations, condition surveys, and repair design of cast-in-place and precast concrete, steel, and timber structures. He has extensive knowledge in building code interpretation, compliance, development, and building plan review. As a member of the International Building Code, Structural Code Committee, he has reviewed and made recommendations related to proposed changes to the structural provisions of the International Codes.

An expert in structural analysis, Mr. Graveen utilizes the latest computer software technology to perform finite element modeling and other analyses to evaluate structural capacity and serviceability for new design, repair design, and as-built condition assessments. His analyses have been applied to the design of repairs for building frames, components, and connections for concrete, steel, and timber construction. 

Prior to RRJ, he served on the technical staff of BOCA International, Inc., performing evaluations of building products and systems for compliance with BOCA National Codes, and providing building code interpretations for design professionals and code officials. 

Presentation Topic:

ACI 318-19, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete address durability requirements for concrete that are covered in specification format in ACI 301-20, Specifications for Concrete Construction. ACI exposure categories define exposure classes that establish requirements for concrete mixtures. These include requirements for resistance to freezing and thawing, sulfates, corrosion of reinforcement, and alkali silica reactions for concrete in contact with moisture.  Similar durability requirements are included in Sec 033000 of the AIA MasterSpec. Colin and Henry will discuss these requirements from the viewpoint of the Structural Engineer. 

Speaker Biography:

Colin Lobo, Ph.D., P.E. is the executive vice president of the Engineering Division at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. He manages the association’s technical advocacy, research activities, and technical education and certification programs. Colin is an active member of ACI 318 for the Building Code for Structural Concrete, ACI 301 on Specifications, and other committees.

Henry Prenger, P.E. is the former Concrete Engineer for the Maryland State Highway Administration, has worked nationally as the Director of Technical Services for Lafarge Cement, and is currently a Technical Service Engineer for Lafarge Holcim Cement.  He is the current chair of ACI 301 (Specifications) subcommittee on materials, the chair of ACI 233 (Slag Cement), and a member of ACI 207 (Mass Concrete).  Prenger is a Fellow of ACI, an Honorary Member of ASTM, and a registered professional engineer in the state of Maryland

Presentation Topic:

Bridge load ratings measure a bridge’s load carrying capacity for vehicular loads in addition to its self-weight. Engineering experience has indicated that conventional methods usually yield conservative bridge load ratings due to simplifications in the analysis. In many situations, rating calculations based on the conventional analysis method indicate that the bridge needs to be posted for weight limits and yet it still carries heavy vehicles without visible signs of distress. The issue becomes more pronounced for aged or deteriorated structures, or for structures lacking information on material properties or construction plans.

Bridge load rating through nondestructive field load testing is a refined method for bridge load rating and is prescribed in AASHTO’s The Manual for Bridge Evaluation (MBE). The MBE recommends two load testing procedures: diagnostic load test and proof load test. Each method offers its own advantages as appropriate to individual circumstances and can produce more accurate load ratings than the conventional analysis. Key results from a load test are live load effects (strain and defection) at critical locations due to controlled test loads of known weights and positions. Test results quantify actual live load distribution in primary load carrying members such as skewed slabs, multiple beams or trusses including the influence of support conditions. Field measurements also help assess inherent load carrying mechanisms such as unintended composite actions and participation of secondary members.

This presentation discusses field load testing for bridge load rating and weight restriction re-evaluation purposes using both the diagnostic and proof load testing methods with multiple example projects. 

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Ed Zhou is AECOM’s Bridge Instrumentation & Evaluation Lead in North America, with 27 years of experience in engineering practice. He has comprehensive knowledge and experience in multiple aspects throughout the bridge life cycle including structural analysis through finite element modeling, design, inspection, load rating, problem diagnosis, non-destructive evaluation (NDE), structural health monitoring, preservation, as well as repair, retrofit, rehabilitation, and replacement design of many types of bridge structures. He is an expert in fatigue and fracture of steel bridges and served as a past Chairman of ASCE Fatigue & Fracture Committee.

Dr. Zhou is an active member of TRB Committee AKB40 ‘Testing and Evaluation of Transportation Structures’ and has played a key role in development of multiple national guidelines and standards: co-author of TRB Circular E-C257 ‘Primer for Bridge Load Testing’; expert panel member of NCHRP Project 20-05 ‘Load Rating of Bridges and Culverts with Missing or Incomplete As-Built Information’; and co-PI of NCHRP Project 12-81 ‘Evaluation of Fatigue on the Serviceability of Highway Bridges’, which updated Section 7: Fatigue Evaluation of Steel Bridges of the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation in the 2015 Interim Revisions. 

Presentation Topic:

Overheight vehicles often collide with highway bridges, causing structural damage, injuries, and sometimes even fatalities.  For example, on June 23rd, 2021, a 65-year-old pedestrian bridge over D.C.'s Route 295 collapsed after it was struck by a truck. Much earlier in 1999, a truck hauling an overheight excavator struck and collapsed a pedestrian bridge over the Baltimore Beltway, killing one motorist and injuring three others.  This topic is to present the earlier study by Dr. Fu to assess the magnitude of overheight vehicle collisions at both the Maryland and national level after the 1999 Baltimore accident.  

Statistics on overheight collisions in Maryland were collected from overheight vehicle detector records, the statewide accident database, and bridge inspection reports.  Of the 1496 bridges susceptible to impact by overheight vehicles statewide collected earlier, 309 (20%) have been struck, with 58 (4%) having required repairs.  A survey was sent to each state to collect national statistics.  Of the 29 states responding, 18 (62%) indicated they consider overheight collisions to be a significant problem. 

Also presented associated with this topic are the overheight vehicle detection and bridge collision damages/repairs.

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Chung C. Fu is the Director of the Bridge/Building Engineering Software & Technology (BEST) Center and Research Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University and Master of Science and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of Maryland.  He is the Fellow of ASCE and SEI and Member of the ACI, PSI, AISC and TRB.  He is a registered Professional Engineer in Maryland, Virginia and DC.  Before returning to the University to take the faculty position and established the BEST Center, he was the engineering supervisor of the Bechtel Engineering Corporation at Gaithersburg, Maryland, and conducted/supervised many analysis, design, and construction projects.  Since joining the University, he has been principal investigators on over-100 private, state and federal projects from US DOT, DOD, Federal Highway Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, U.S. Army Corps, World Bank and several Maryland State Agencies, SHA, MDTA, MPA, and MTA. He has given lectures and training courses over 40 states and has provided consulting services throughout the United States and some abroad.  He has published over 200 referred and non-referred technical papers and given over 200 presentations worldwide.  

Presentation Topic:

Since its introduction in the United States in 1949, precast, prestressed concrete has rapidly become the preferred composite material for bridge design and construction as well as many other transportation related projects. Today, it remains the solution of choice for transportation agencies and their designers across the country. This growth came, and will continue to come, from the commitment of precast producers to develop, improve, and implement advanced materials, products, and technology all aimed at enhancing the performance of bridges and transportation structures. Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) is a unique approach to project planning, material acquisition, and on-site work for bridge construction, rehabilitation, and replacement. A trusted method that professionals all over the world have employed for more than twenty years, ABC uses prefabricated road and bridge elements to support cost-effective and fast project completion. 

Course Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss PCI resources available for designers related to transportation project and bridge design. 

2. Review the design of prestressed bridge elements and how they work related to ABC construction. 

3. Define bridge elements and how to select them for ABC construction. 

4. Explain the production, shipping and handling of precast elements related to precast substructures. 

5. Highlight regional projects that have been built using ABC. 

Presentation Topic:

What are the roots of our aesthetic enjoyment of bridges? This presentation answers that question by first looking at what are the roots of our aesthetic enjoyment of other art forms, like painting and sculpture. From that base we will examine what makes the enjoyment of bridges different. Those differences explain the appeal of haunched girders, and also the Swiss-Army-knife appeal of formliners. We will move on to review means of improving the aesthetic appeal of bridge piers and towers. Finally, we will finish with an application of these ideas to the impending project to widen the American Legion Bridge over the Potomac River.

Speaker Biography:

Since September 2020, Dawn has served as the executive director for the PCI Mid-Atlantic Chapter. She is responsible for association management with key emphasis on educational, technical and marketing promotion of solutions to advance the design, manufacture and use of precast/prestressed concrete products in the Mid-Atlantic region.  

Previously, she was the Director of Marketing for High Concrete Group in Denver, PA.  High Concrete Group produces architectural and structural precast products primarily serving Central and Eastern PA, NJ, DE and Maryland markets. 

Dawn has 25 years of progressive sales, marketing, R&D, and executive leadership experience.

Greg has 39 years of experience in the construction industry, with the 20 most recent years in the prestressed/precast concrete sector at PennStress and Newcrete Products.  

In addition to precast, he has been fortunate to experience construction from multiple vantage points, including project management and business development with a general contractor; engineering and construction management with a consulting firm; and an owner representative as a US Naval Officer. 

Presentation Topic:

What are the roots of our aesthetic enjoyment of bridges? This presentation answers that question by first looking at what are the roots of our aesthetic enjoyment of other art forms, like painting and sculpture. From that base we will examine what makes the enjoyment of bridges different. Those differences explain the appeal of haunched girders, and also the Swiss-Army-knife appeal of formliners. We will move on to review means of improving the aesthetic appeal of bridge piers and towers. Finally, we will finish with an application of these ideas to the impending project to widen the American Legion Bridge over the Potomac River.

Presentation Topic:

What are the roots of our aesthetic enjoyment of bridges? This presentation answers that question by first looking at what are the roots of our aesthetic enjoyment of other art forms, like painting and sculpture. From that base we will examine what makes the enjoyment of bridges different. Those differences explain the appeal of haunched girders, and also the Swiss-Army-knife appeal of formliners. We will move on to review means of improving the aesthetic appeal of bridge piers and towers. Finally, we will finish with an application of these ideas to the impending project to widen the American Legion Bridge over the Potomac River.

Presentation Topic:

• Reinforced concrete is one of the most utilized building materials in the world.  But in order for concrete structures to meet or exceed their full design life, they must be properly protected from the weather and other corrosive elements (which are working every day to shorten that lifespan).

• Most of the waterproofing options available to architects & engineers, involve materials that are specifically designed to provide only ‘short-term’ protection.  While many structures are designed to last at least 50 – 75 years, the materials used to protect those structures from the elements are designed to last a maximum of 5 – 10 years.  Thereby, requiring that these protective materials be installed … removed … and reinstalled again; several times during the lifespan of the structure (at great expense to the owners).

• The TechCrete 2500 Waterproofing System provides true ‘long-term’ waterproofing protection (for the design life of the structure) after a single application.  This spray-applied, integral waterproofing solution has been used to protect important structures around the world for over 40 years … and was voted by the Concrete Industry as ‘2020 - Most Innovative Product’ at the World of Concrete Convention in Las Vegas last February.  Please join our upcoming webinar to learn about this state-of-the-art waterproofing technology, and how it can provide you with a cost effective, long-term solution to your concrete waterproofing needs.  

Presentation Topic:

Trusses are one of the more common uses of Hollow Structural Sections (HSS).  The joints and connections of HSS members in trusses can be the cause of confusion during design and of unneeded costs during fabrication.  It is important to understand the various joint configurations and how they relate to the overall strength and stiffness of a truss.  Fabrication cost, which is a primary cost of steel structures, can be greatly influenced by the joint and connection design, more so than the overall weight of the truss.   The choice of member shapes, the configuration of the joints and choice of weld type has direct impact on the limit states that need to be checked and on the cost of fabrication.   This presentation will highlight how to avoid some of the common pitfalls when designing and detailing HSS truss connections and joints.  Through some simple rules of thumb, it will be shown that proper sizing of truss members and proper design of truss joints and connections can lead to a much more cost effective and efficient structure.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify ways that HSS truss joint configurations relate to the overall strength and stiffness of the truss.

• Understand the different limit states that control the design of different joint configurations.                                                                                       

• Understand that fabrication cost of an HSS truss is directly related to the design of the truss joints and connections, rather than the overall weight of the truss.                                                                                                                                                                   

• Apply concepts used for planar trusses to the analysis and design of multi-planar trusses

Presentation Topic:

Learn about the controlling factors in corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete, including rebar cover, chloride exposure, rebar material, and concrete mix design. You will be introduced to the European model "fib 34" for concrete service life design, development of a corrosion protection plan, and the process of chloride migration testing of concrete mixes.

Speaker Biography:

Ali Shariati

Ali Shariati is a structural engineer with expertise in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE). Vibration based SHM using videos was the focus of his PhD dissertation. He is capable of working in a variety of areas, including service life analysis, nondestructive testing, corrosion evaluations, failure analysis, and corrosion control approaches such as cathodic protection, design of electrical systems for corrosion control, etc.  He has managed corrosion inspections of bridges throughout the United States. He is also experienced in data processing using different statistical/machine learning algorithms to extract information from processed data that leads to sound engineering decisions.

Stuart Mundh

Mr. Mundth graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is an expert in conducting non-destructive tests, including Ground Penetrating Radar, Infrared Thermography, Impact-Echo, and Ultrasonic Flaw Detection. He is capable of working in a variety of areas, including corrosion evaluations, failure analysis, and corrosion control approaches such as cathodic protection, design of electrical systems for corrosion control, etc.  He has managed corrosion inspections of many bridges throughout the United States. He has extensive experience in testing, troubleshooting, and fixing electrical systems as it relates to ICCP and GCP. He is also experienced in data acquisition and signal processing, with an ability to extract information from processed data that leads to sound engineering decisions. An example of this decision type includes utilizing in-situ and non-destructive testing to decide the best options for corrosion mitigation repair and rehabilitation.

Presentation Topic:

Simpson Strong-Tie’s new Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) system combines high-performance sprayable mortar with carbon-fiber grids that combine to create thin reinforced cementitious layers without adding significant mass or volume to an existing structure. While similar in many ways to FRP, the FRCM system often minimizes base material preparation, is efficiently applied to large and/or damp surface areas.  Following this training, attendees will comprehend the usefulness and applications of FRCM reinforcement and repair of concrete and masonry assemblies, understand basic installation procedures, and cite industry design, test, and qualification standards applicable to this versatile material.

Speaker Biography:

Mark Jarvinen has been practicing structural engineering, concrete repair and strengthening, and exterior building envelope consulting for 30 years.  His structural engineering experience ranges from adaptive reuse of historic structures to new building designs of structural steel, reinforced masonry, reinforced concrete, and wood.  His exterior building envelope experience includes work involving above and below grade waterproofing, roofing, exterior cladding, masonry and building stone, windows, and doors.  Mark’s past project responsibilities include, structural investigation, report writing, structural design, specification writing, construction cost estimating, construction administration, and field testing and inspection.   

Mark has been a member of the Simpson Strong-Tie Company’s Field Engineering Team since 2007.  As an employee of Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Mark’s primary responsibilities include educating and supporting design professionals and specifiers relating to Code-compliant specification, design, installation, field inspection and testing of post-installed anchors, repair products for concrete and masonry, and cold-formed steel connector products.  

Mark also provides design and specification support and technical training related to Simpson Strong-Tie’s FRP Composite Strengthening Systems (CSS) and pile repair system (FX-70). 

Mark has been professionally registered as a Structural Engineer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since March 9, 1995, an active member of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI), and certified as an ACI/CRSI Adhesive Anchor Installer. 

Presentation Topic:

This presentation discusses the evolving use of materials, technology and need for tall structures, beginning with American structures and ending with six of the world’s tallest buildings.

Speaker Biography:

D. Furlong obtained his BSCE from Southern Methodist University 1952 followed by 6 EIT years in St. Louis with  McDonnell Aircraft and F. Ray Martin, Inc.  He helped design about 40 bridges, a dozen  buildings, while part time, and obtained MSCE from Washington University in 1957.  He joined  the faculty at UT-Austin in 1958.  He performed Concrete Column Research with Phil Ferguson for a PhD in 1963.  He continued research with ACI , ASCE, AISC committee work on columns,  composite structures, frame analysis, and design aids with part time consulting until his retirement in 1999.  Afterwards, he continued consulting and began lectures for Senior learning groups.

His research and writing brought advancements to composite column design during the last third of the 20th Century. Dr. Furlong’s work in the design of composite columns helped make them important components of earthquake-resistant building frames and bridges. His research on biaxial bending of columns, column slenderness and inelastic behavior of frames contributed to improvements in design specifications for both steel and concrete structures. In addition, his studies of inverted T-beam bent caps also earned the Raymond C. Reese Award from the American Concrete Institute (ACI), while his numerous design aids for concrete structures have been part of the ACI Handbook for 25 years.

After service on the Board of Directors of both ACI and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), he was elected President of the Texas Section ASCE in 1997. He was recognized as an Honorary Member of ASCE in 2001. In 2004, Dr. Furlong was awarded the ACI’s Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Speaker of the Year Award. The award is in recognition of his efforts in establishing one of the most successful ACI seminar series, “Reinforced Concrete Design”, and for his many years as an instructor in cities across the United States.

Presentation Topic:

This presentation discusses the evolving use of materials, technology and need for tall structures, beginning with American structures and ending with six of the world’s tallest buildings.

Speaker Biography:

D. Furlong obtained his BSCE from Southern Methodist University 1952 followed by 6 EIT years in St. Louis with  McDonnell Aircraft and F. Ray Martin, Inc.  He helped design about 40 bridges, a dozen  buildings, while part time, and obtained MSCE from Washington University in 1957.  He joined  the faculty at UT-Austin in 1958.  He performed Concrete Column Research with Phil Ferguson for a PhD in 1963.  He continued research with ACI , ASCE, AISC committee work on columns,  composite structures, frame analysis, and design aids with part time consulting until his retirement in 1999.  Afterwards, he continued consulting and began lectures for Senior learning groups.

His research and writing brought advancements to composite column design during the last third of the 20th Century. Dr. Furlong’s work in the design of composite columns helped make them important components of earthquake-resistant building frames and bridges. His research on biaxial bending of columns, column slenderness and inelastic behavior of frames contributed to improvements in design specifications for both steel and concrete structures. In addition, his studies of inverted T-beam bent caps also earned the Raymond C. Reese Award from the American Concrete Institute (ACI), while his numerous design aids for concrete structures have been part of the ACI Handbook for 25 years.

After service on the Board of Directors of both ACI and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), he was elected President of the Texas Section ASCE in 1997. He was recognized as an Honorary Member of ASCE in 2001. In 2004, Dr. Furlong was awarded the ACI’s Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Speaker of the Year Award. The award is in recognition of his efforts in establishing one of the most successful ACI seminar series, “Reinforced Concrete Design”, and for his many years as an instructor in cities across the United States.

Presentation Topic:

This presentation discusses the evolving use of materials, technology and need for tall structures, beginning with American structures and ending with six of the world’s tallest buildings.

Speaker Biography:

D. Furlong obtained his BSCE from Southern Methodist University 1952 followed by 6 EIT years in St. Louis with  McDonnell Aircraft and F. Ray Martin, Inc.  He helped design about 40 bridges, a dozen  buildings, while part time, and obtained MSCE from Washington University in 1957.  He joined  the faculty at UT-Austin in 1958.  He performed Concrete Column Research with Phil Ferguson for a PhD in 1963.  He continued research with ACI , ASCE, AISC committee work on columns,  composite structures, frame analysis, and design aids with part time consulting until his retirement in 1999.  Afterwards, he continued consulting and began lectures for Senior learning groups.

His research and writing brought advancements to composite column design during the last third of the 20th Century. Dr. Furlong’s work in the design of composite columns helped make them important components of earthquake-resistant building frames and bridges. His research on biaxial bending of columns, column slenderness and inelastic behavior of frames contributed to improvements in design specifications for both steel and concrete structures. In addition, his studies of inverted T-beam bent caps also earned the Raymond C. Reese Award from the American Concrete Institute (ACI), while his numerous design aids for concrete structures have been part of the ACI Handbook for 25 years.

After service on the Board of Directors of both ACI and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), he was elected President of the Texas Section ASCE in 1997. He was recognized as an Honorary Member of ASCE in 2001. In 2004, Dr. Furlong was awarded the ACI’s Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Speaker of the Year Award. The award is in recognition of his efforts in establishing one of the most successful ACI seminar series, “Reinforced Concrete Design”, and for his many years as an instructor in cities across the United States.

Presentation Topic:

This presentation discusses the evolving use of materials, technology and need for tall structures, beginning with American structures and ending with six of the world’s tallest buildings.

Speaker Biography:

D. Furlong obtained his BSCE from Southern Methodist University 1952 followed by 6 EIT years in St. Louis with  McDonnell Aircraft and F. Ray Martin, Inc.  He helped design about 40 bridges, a dozen  buildings, while part time, and obtained MSCE from Washington University in 1957.  He joined  the faculty at UT-Austin in 1958.  He performed Concrete Column Research with Phil Ferguson for a PhD in 1963.  He continued research with ACI , ASCE, AISC committee work on columns,  composite structures, frame analysis, and design aids with part time consulting until his retirement in 1999.  Afterwards, he continued consulting and began lectures for Senior learning groups.

His research and writing brought advancements to composite column design during the last third of the 20th Century. Dr. Furlong’s work in the design of composite columns helped make them important components of earthquake-resistant building frames and bridges. His research on biaxial bending of columns, column slenderness and inelastic behavior of frames contributed to improvements in design specifications for both steel and concrete structures. In addition, his studies of inverted T-beam bent caps also earned the Raymond C. Reese Award from the American Concrete Institute (ACI), while his numerous design aids for concrete structures have been part of the ACI Handbook for 25 years.

After service on the Board of Directors of both ACI and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), he was elected President of the Texas Section ASCE in 1997. He was recognized as an Honorary Member of ASCE in 2001. In 2004, Dr. Furlong was awarded the ACI’s Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Speaker of the Year Award. The award is in recognition of his efforts in establishing one of the most successful ACI seminar series, “Reinforced Concrete Design”, and for his many years as an instructor in cities across the United States.

Presentation Topic:

This presentation discusses the evolving use of materials, technology and need for tall structures, beginning with American structures and ending with six of the world’s tallest buildings.

Speaker Biography:

D. Furlong obtained his BSCE from Southern Methodist University 1952 followed by 6 EIT years in St. Louis with  McDonnell Aircraft and F. Ray Martin, Inc.  He helped design about 40 bridges, a dozen  buildings, while part time, and obtained MSCE from Washington University in 1957.  He joined  the faculty at UT-Austin in 1958.  He performed Concrete Column Research with Phil Ferguson for a PhD in 1963.  He continued research with ACI , ASCE, AISC committee work on columns,  composite structures, frame analysis, and design aids with part time consulting until his retirement in 1999.  Afterwards, he continued consulting and began lectures for Senior learning groups.

His research and writing brought advancements to composite column design during the last third of the 20th Century. Dr. Furlong’s work in the design of composite columns helped make them important components of earthquake-resistant building frames and bridges. His research on biaxial bending of columns, column slenderness and inelastic behavior of frames contributed to improvements in design specifications for both steel and concrete structures. In addition, his studies of inverted T-beam bent caps also earned the Raymond C. Reese Award from the American Concrete Institute (ACI), while his numerous design aids for concrete structures have been part of the ACI Handbook for 25 years.

After service on the Board of Directors of both ACI and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), he was elected President of the Texas Section ASCE in 1997. He was recognized as an Honorary Member of ASCE in 2001. In 2004, Dr. Furlong was awarded the ACI’s Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Speaker of the Year Award. The award is in recognition of his efforts in establishing one of the most successful ACI seminar series, “Reinforced Concrete Design”, and for his many years as an instructor in cities across the United States.

Speaker Biography:

Kevin Pavuk is the Baltimore/Washington area Manager of Strengthening Solutions for STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES. Mr. Pavuk has more than 25 years of business development experience including 13 years in the construction industry. He is responsible for generating and overseeing the successful completion of more than $12 million of concrete strengthening projects annually in the greater Baltimore/DC region. 

STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES develops, markets, and integrates proprietary products with specialty engineering services to improve, protect, and enhance infrastructure. They provide value-added solutions to designers, engineering professionals, contractors, and owners in the Commercial, Public, Industrial, and Energy, markets. Understanding each market and each project’s unique requirements allows our teams to engineer project-specific solutions. When you are looking for the answer to complex construction, repair, and maintenance problems—turn to STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES.

Topic Description:

Consider the importance of infrastructure in our daily lives. Infrastructure provides the basis for public health, impacts the economic viability of our communities, moves people and goods, and creates spaces for us to enjoy. However, despite the need for infrastructure and the many benefits it provides, historically it is overlooked and underfunded until it breaks down or service is disrupted.

Decades of neglect mean that massive investments in infrastructure are now needed. Aging and outdated infrastructure needs to be replaced and modernized. At the same time, population growth and climate change are stressing financial, material, and technological resources. Infrastructure is at the heart of addressing key challenges of the 21st century, and the standards and methods of the past will not be adequate to meet the needs of the future. A new paradigm is required.

How do you know whether your decisions as engineers and architects are contributing to sustainability or not? How do you bring attention to the need for more sustainable infrastructure? How do you communicate around a shared understanding of what sustainability means? 

This presentation introduces Envision as a framework for providing the guidance needed to initiate systemic change in the planning, design and delivery of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Envision:

• Sets the standard for what constitutes sustainable infrastructure;

• Incentivizes higher performance goals beyond minimum requirements;

• Gives recognition to projects that make significant contributions to sustainability; and

• Provides a common language for collaboration and clear communication both internally and externally. 

Speaker Biography:

Lindsey Geiger is the Director of Education at the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. She oversees educational programming including the Envision Sustainability Professional credential, continuing education courses, and training for Envision verifiers and ISI trainers. Ms. Geiger coordinates and ensures consistency across all educational materials, events, and policies. 

Ms. Geiger holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, and a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI. She is a Professional Engineer (PE), registered in Colorado.

Topic Description:

Hollow structural steel (HSS) member connections often seem mysterious — but they don’t have to. While not a how-to guide, this presentation highlights aspects of HSS connection design that are often overlooked or misunderstood. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of tension, shear, moment and truss connections and how they differ from other types of connections.

• HSS connections share multiple limit states with other types of connections, however, for HSS there are usually additional limit states that need to be checked. This often leads to confusion and misunderstanding of these types of connections.

• This presentation will cover some frequently asked questions about the design of different types of HSS connections, including both bolted and welded, for tension/compression, shear and moments.

• Understanding the HSS specific limit states and how they directly influence the connections can lead to more economical and cost effective connections. Too often, misunderstanding these limits states produces to poor connection design or the need to reinforce connections after fabrication.

Speaker Biography:

Brad Fletcher is has 28 years of experience in engineering design and the steel industry, providing technical expertise on the use of steel hollows structural sections (HSS) and pipe piling products to design engineers, detailers, fabricators, and architects.

Brad is a registered structural engineer in Illinois, and has held senior positions at leading architecture and engineers firms: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Sargent & Lundy, and Halvorson & Partners. For the past 12 years at Atlas Steel, Brad has focused his efforts on serving as a liaison between structural designers and the steel industry.

Brad holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Ciivl Engineering from Purdue University. He is active in many industry groups, including AISC, the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, and ASTM International. He participates in Technical Committees responsible for the AISC Specification as well of the HSS committee of the Steel Tube Institute. Brad is also on the board of the CISC Research and Education Council (formerly SSEF) in Canada and the S16 Technical Committee for the Canadian Standards Association.

Topic Description:

As more and more projects are constructed in high-density developed areas, the use of temporary support of excavation and underpinning structures are often required to mitigate the risk of damage to adjacent structures from the new construction.  Underpinning systems are typically designed by the owner’s designer and the contractor’s role is to install the system as designed. The design of temporary support of excavation (SOE) systems are typically left to the contractor; thus, the contractor assumes the risks associated with both the design and performance of the system.   

The owner’s designers typically perform a subsurface investigation that is solely focused on providing subsurface information for the design of the permanent structures, and little or no thought is given to subsurface information needed to properly design the temporary SOE system, or the constructability of the system.   The design of temporary SOE could be a high risk and costly endeavor.   

This presentation provides an overview of temporary support of excavation and underpinning systems, and discusses the following topics:  

• Subsurface investigation and engineering properties needed to properly design a temporary SOE system. 

• Types of temporary SOE systems and constructability issues related to the different types. 

• Types of underpinning systems and constructability issues related to the different types 

• Effect of groundwater on the design and performance of temporary SOEs 

• Failure modes of temporary SOEs

Speaker Biography:

Steve Fung is a senior associate at Schnabel Engineering and has over 15 years of experience in geotechnical and geostructural engineering analysis and design.  He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Guyana and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, and is a registered professional engineer in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.   

He has specialized geotechnical engineering experience in design of support of excavation walls, slope stabilization design, and the evaluation of soil-structure interaction problems. 

George Aristorenas is a technical principal at Schnabel Engineering and has over 25 years of experience in the field of structural and geotechnical engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree, majoring in Structural Engineering, from the University of the Philippines; and a doctoral degree, majoring in Geotechnical Engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). George is a registered professional engineer in Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, and Massachusetts. 

George is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI).

Topic Description

The webinar will review issues that should be addressed when writing a specification for concrete repair. The International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) developed a user-editable specification entitled “Guide Specification for Structural Concrete Repairs” that can be used by design professionals. This presentation reviews the contents and intent of the specification and discusses decisions that should be considered when using it. It also presents common industry repair practices and how to specify their use.

Learning Objectives:

1. Become familiar with ICRI developed “Guide Specification for Structural Concrete Repairs”

2. Understand the breakdown of key information in the three parts of the specification: Part 1: General, Part 2: Products, and Part 3: Execution.

3. Understand the decisions made by the committee during the development of the specification. 

4. Be introduced to the decisions that will need to be made by the Design Professional when using the specification.

5. Learn the standard practices commonly used in the concrete repair industry and how to require them through specifications. 

Speaker Biography:

Karl was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1953 and raised in Arnold, Maryland. Thanks to familial connections, his father was a structural engineer, Karl obtained a job at Lamprecht Consultants, a structural engineering firm in Baltimore. He worked there during the summer after his junior year in high school until about 2 years after finishing college.

Between 1971 and 1975 Karl attended Drexel University, participated in their cooperative education program and became a student member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Following graduation with a BS in Civil Engineering, Karl spent the next 11 years gaining experience as a structural engineer through work at Lamprecht Consultants, Skarda & Rickert Structural Consultants, and Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani. In 1979 Karl became a registered professional engineer in the State of Maryland and is currently registered in eight states and the District of Columbia. Karl completed an MS in structural engineering at George Washington University in 1984.

In 1986 Karl founded Rickert Engineering, Inc. and continues to serve as President of the firm. Karl completed an MBA at Loyola College in Baltimore in 1994 and has maintained memberships in professional organizations including ACI, ACEC, AISC, ASCE, CSI, ICRI, and NSPE. He has been an officer at the local level of several of these organizations and is currently active on committees at the national level of the International Concrete Repair Institute. He is also currently serving on the Maryland Board of Professional Engineers. 

Topic Description:

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) has been around the construction industry for more than two decades.  Acceptance criteria and cost have relegated UHPC predominately to use as a connection material; this limited yet effective implementation of UHPC is beginning to shift as codification occurs throughout the world and new versions of the material technology are being deployed.  Do you design for a service life?  Do you design to limit cracking in concrete?  Is the weight of the structure a concern in your projects?  Perhaps UHPC can provide a specialty solution in your designing future…

Speaker Biography:

JP Binard is a professional engineer registered in several states along the East Coast from New York to Florida and the owner and manager of Precast Systems Engineering, LLC. JP has over 15 years of precast, prestressed concrete experience with a specialty in UHPC.

In 2016, an opportunity presented itself to visit Malaysia as part of a PCI Technoquest on Ultra High Performance Concrete which served as the catalyst to start Precast Systems Engineering. JP has been integral to the discussions surrounding UHPC and a part of several large castings ever since that trip. JP currently serves as Chair of the Ultra High Performance Concrete Sub-Committee to the Committee on Bridges and former Chair of the Prestressed Concrete Piling Committee in PCI. JP also serves on two NCHRP panels and is a member of TRB AFF30.

Topic Description:

ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute is actively engaged in learning from past disasters in a continuing effort to improve the practice of engineering and the quality of the engineering standards that address design issues critical to improved building performance during natural disasters. This talk will discuss two such reconnaissance efforts after the flooding from Hurricane Sandy in Manhattan and Hurricane Irma’s high winds that impacted St. Thomas in the USVI.

Speaker Biography:

Bill Coulbourne, P.E., is a structural engineering consultant and has a consulting practice in Annapolis, MD, Coulbourne Consulting. Bill has more than 50 years of engineering experience, the last 23 years focused on developing engineering solutions for the problems presented by natural hazards, especially high winds and flooding. Bill’s work has included supporting FEMA’s Building Science Branch with response to every major hurricane, tornado and flood in the last 23 years, providing forensic studies after the largest of those events, creating engineering guidance on how to improve building performance from similar events, and delivering instruction to others on the effects of these natural disasters and how to reduce damage from them. He has led investigative teams for ASCE/SEI and FEMA to several disaster sites.  He is a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Structural Engineering Institute. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Masters of Engineering Degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Topic Description:

Much like your college "101" class, this talk will provide an introduction to the design and structural interaction of Geopier Rammed Aggregate Pier (RAP) & Rigid Inclusion systems with shallow spread footing and slab on grades. 

These systems are ground improvement technologies that can be used to increase bearing capacity and control settlement of buildings, tanks, retaining walls, and embankments to close tolerances.  Depending on site requirements, Geopier systems can be installed using replacement or displacement methods. RAP systems are used to reinforce good to poor soils, including soft to stiff clay and silt; loose to dense sand; organic silt and peat; variable, uncontrolled fill; and soils below the ground water table. They can be used as an alternative to deep foundations or over-excavation, and provide cost and time savings on sites where building on existing poor soils and/or undocumented fill present unacceptable risk to the owner. 

This presentation reviews fundamental Geopier design and construction techniques and discuss the collaborative effort between the project structural engineer and RAP designer needed for a successful project.

Speaker Biography:

Shana Carroll is an Associate at DW Kozera, a geotechnical firm specializing in solving geotechnical, geostructural, and environmental challenges for clients throughout the mid-Atlantic United States. Shana was formerly a regional manager with GeoStructures, Inc., where she was involved in the design, estimating, and pre-construction management of specialty geotechnical systems throughout the East Coast for 14 years. Prior to this role she was an engineer at GeoSyntec Consultants focusing on geotechnical instrumentation and solid waste facility design. Shana holds a B.S. & M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Bucknell University and is a registered Professional Engineer in 5 states. She is the past president of the Baltimore Chapter of American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE) and the current Program Chair for the National Capital Section Geotechnical Executive Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). In her spare time, Shana enjoys writing about topics related to young professionals on her blog www.outofthecube.net and traveling.

Valerie Merida serves as the Vice President of Engineering for GeoStructures, a design/build contractor which provides engineered earth structures and ground improvement technologies. Valerie has worked with GeoStructures since 2004 and has been involved in the design and construction of specialty geotechnical systems for hundreds of projects throughout the East Coast. Prior to GeoStructures, Valerie worked for several years as a geotechnical consultant. Valerie holds a B.S. and M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Drexel University and is a registered Professional Engineer.

Topic Description:

Concrete elements of steel or concrete bridges, such as piers, slabs, or girders, may exhibit various signs of surface distress or deterioration, most noticeably, cracks. Accurate mapping and monitoring of existing cracks is important to bridge deterioration modeling because some cracks may grow due to the effects of loads and environment but others may remain unchanged over time. The current practice of mapping concrete cracks is primarily manual, making accurate identification of crack growths difficult. The manual records are generally subjective and practically impossible to be complete and accurate. The required field operations can be time consuming and often cause traffic disruptions. Recent advancements in digital imaging technologies, including equipment hardware and image processing techniques, make mapping of concrete cracks more objective, more complete and more accurate. The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, makes field data collection more productive and less disruptive to traffic. This presentation discusses application of UAS for mapping existing concrete cracks on bridge elements. Topics include field data collection, photogrammetric 3D modeling, orthographic imagery, digital image processing for crack identification, as well as temporal subtraction for deterioration assessment

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Ed Zhou, P.E., is AECOM’s Bridge Instrumentation & Evaluation Lead in North America, with 25 years of experience in bridge engineering. Ed specializes in bridge condition evaluation, asset management, and structural testing/monitoring using a variety of field instrumentation and digital imaging technologies. He has in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in multiple aspects throughout the bridge life cycle including structural analysis, finite element modeling, design, inspection, load rating, problem diagnosis, non-destructive evaluation (NDE), load testing, performance monitoring, preservation, as well as repair, retrofit, rehabilitation, and replacement of many types of highway and railroad bridges. Ed has current knowledge and experience in applying advanced digital imaging and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technologies for condition and deterioration assessment of structural elements, as well as developing effective bridge asset management solutions to support bridge owners for data-driven decisions.  

Ed earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northern Jiaotong University in China, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. He has served in several national technical committees as: past chairman of ASCE Committee on Fatigue & Fracture; member of ASCE Committee on Methods of Monitoring Structural Performance; member of TRB Committee on Field Testing and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Transportation Structures; and member of AREMA Committee 15 Steel Structures and Committee 17 High Speed Rail Systems. Ed taught several graduate courses in bridge engineering as well as the undergraduate civil engineering capstone course Design and Synthesis at Johns Hopkins University between 2000 and 2015. 

Topic Description:

MDTA’s Office of Engineering and Construction and Hardesty & Hanover (H&H) worked together to complete MDTA’s first Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) alternative delivery project for the Rehabilitation of the Curtis Creek Drawbridge. Innovation was needed in developing the contractual documents that incorporated the technical challenges associated with the movable bridge rehabilitation, and allowed for advanced design and procurement of long lead time items for specialty mechanical and electrical items. MDTA, H&H and the CM developed phased construction strategies to maintain vessel and vehicular traffic on I-695 during the rehabilitation. Benefits from the innovation in design and project delivery were realized, including: contracting a highly qualified CM to perform the work, the ability to modify the design details and project scope in order to meet the construction schedule, high quality equipment for this complex bridge, reduced and change orders and the ability to manage the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) to stay within the project budget. This presentation will describe the CMAR process and MDTA’s lessons learned from this project.

Speaker Biographies:

Will serves as the Director of Project Development for Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). He is responsible for MDTA's System Preservation Program, Innovative Contracting, and is the program manager for the Harry W. Nice/Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge Replacement, I-95 ETL Northbound Extension, and 895 Bridge (Canton Viaduct) mega projects. Will served the State in SHA’s Office of Structures for 7½ years, prior to joining MDTA in 2012. He is a licensed professional engineer and earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering University of Maryland, College Park and M.S. in Management from the University of Maryland, University College. He is also a graduate of the National Transportation Leadership Institute. However, Will and his wife, Diana, routinely stretch their leadership capabilities with their three kids, who are 4 years old and under.

Don Marinelli is a Senior Mechanical Engineer with over 13 years of experience at Hardesty & Hanover. Don has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from York College of Pennsylvania and a Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Don has expertise in condition inspection, design, constructability review, construction inspection, and establishing maintenance programs for the mechanical systems within movable bridges and highway tunnels. His expertise in heavy industrial mechanical systems has been utilized by clients across the U.S., including Florida, Washington, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and the Mid-Atlantic States. 

Topic Description:

1.  Precaset Pre-tensioned Concrete Bridges (US Practice)

2. Precast/Cast-in-place Post-tensioned Concrete Bridges

3. Understanding of Creep & Shrinkage

4. Impact of Creep & Shrinkage on Post-tensioned Bridges

5. Creep & Shrinkage for High Strength Concrete

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Chung C. Fu is the Director of the Bridge/Building Engineering Software & Technology (BEST) Center and Research Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University and Master of Science and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of Maryland.  He is the Fellow of ASCE and Member of the ACI, PSI, AISC and TRB.  He is  registered Professional Engineers in Maryland, Virginia and DC.  Before returning to the University to take the faculty position and established the BEST Center, he was the engineering supervisor of the Bechtel Engineering Corporation at Gaithersburg, Maryland, and conducted/supervised many analysis, design, and construction projects.  Since joining the University, he has been principal investigators on over-100 private, state and federal projects from US DOT, DOD, Federal Highway Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, U.S. Army Corps, World Bank and several Maryland State Agencies, SHA, MDTA, MPA, and MTA. He has given lectures and training courses over 40 states and overseas and has provided consulting services throughout the United States and some abroad.  He has published a textbook “Computational Analysis and Design of Bridge Structures,”  several chapters of published books, over 50 state and federal reports, over 200 referred and non-referred technical papers and given over 200 presentations worldwide.

Topic Description:

Wind engineering and building aerodynamics examine the impact of wind action on a building and its components in terms of wind pressures. The seminar will offer some fundamental knowledge in wind engineering and will help participants to understand the code and standard provisions for wind design. Particular emphasis will be placed on the ASCE 7 provisions, their history and evolution, as well as the current state-of-the-art of research in various wind loading areas. Differences between Component-and-Cladding (CC) and Main Wind Force Resisting System (MWFRS) design loads will be elaborated along with specific examples. This includes the discussion of internal pressures and their problematic definition in codes and standards. The significance of the exposure characteristics and the difficulties associated with its definition will be outlined and current research in addressing these difficulties will be described. A detailed question and answer period will be accommodated.

Learning objectives: 

- Develop a good understanding of how wind interacts with buildings and demystify the wind code and standard provisions

- Learn how to use the wind load provisions of the ASCE 7 standard and produce correct wind design loads on CC and MWFRS

- Find out how to reduce wind loads and utilize provisions to ensure wind resistant and economical building construction

- Familiarize yourself with wind engineering and building aerodynamics and become aware of the issues currently under research

The seminar will be of interest to Building Designers, Architects, Builders, Civil and Construction Engineers, Building Officials and others involved in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings.

Speaker Biography:

Ted Stathopoulos, PhD and P.Eng., is a professor of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University, Montreal. He is a specialist with more than 35 years of experience in the areas of wind engineering and building aerodynamics, including natural ventilation. He has actively participated in numerous external bodies including the ASCE Standards Committee of Minimum Design Loads of Buildings and Other Structures and the Canadian Wind Code Committee. He has published more than 500 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings. Previously honoured by the American Association for Wind Engineering, he also received the 1997 Engineering Award of the National Hurricane Conference for his research in hurricane-resistant construction that lead to the adoption of the new ASCE-7 minimum design loads.

He has received the 2012 Alan G. Davenport Medal from the International Association for Wind Engineering, following numerous other distinctions, such as the 2009 Jack E. Cermak Medal from the Engineering Mechanics Institute of ASCE. Dr. Stathopoulos is a professional engineer registered in Québec, Ontario, and Greece. A Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Fellow and life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), he is also the Editor of the International Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics.

Topic Description:

Over the last twenty-five years, the use of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) materials has gained more popularity. Unfortunately, many designers do not have a fundamental understanding of the structural testing results that have led to the existing design guidelines being adopted (e.g. ACI 440.2R-17). Before a designer proceeds with the various design procedures, it is critical that they first understand the fundamental material behavior and specifically how these advanced composites work with the existing reinforced concrete sections.  This presentation will review several structural tests spanning from the 1990's to present day and will highlight the detailing that is not addressed by the current codes and guidelines.

Speaker Biography:

Scott is the Director of Engineering Solutions at Fyfe Company.  He has been working with Fyfe Company for twenty-four years on the design and development of various advanced composite strengthening systems. He is a licensed civil engineer in the states of Maryland, California, Texas, Hawaii, Nevada & Florida and has worked directly on the design of thousands of rehabilitation projects. Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of California at San Diego.

Topic Description:

Speaker Biography:

Troy S. Brown is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Brown graduated summa cum laude from Morgan State University in 1999, where he earned a B.A. in political science. Mr. Brown earned his J.D. in 2003 from Harvard Law School, and his masters in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Mr. Brown is a practicing attorney and is currently a partner at Morse Law Office, and was an associate professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law and a visiting professor at Vytautas Magnus University Law School, where he taught Professional Responsibility and Conflict of Laws. Mr. Brown was also an associate at McGuireWoods, LLP, in Atlanta, Georgia where he practiced intellectual property and complex commercial litigation and represented franchisors, Fortune 500 companies, and major financial institutions in a broad range of litigation matters. He is a member of several professional legal groups including the American Bar Association and the Gate City Bar American.

Mr. Brown's research interests lie in governmental responses to crises, law and policy, and law and economics.

Topic Description:

The top-down construction method of “suspended building construction” was patented over 46 years ago, but has only been used a few times since. However, a recent 10-story office building constructed in India using this method shows its potential to disrupt typical industry methods of multi-story tall building erection. The method offers a reduction in project schedule and increased safety as stages of work are completed on the ground and raised up to be installed. The design professional must take care to account for construction sequencing and loading in the building design, but the project savings merit the design industry’s attention.

Speaker Biography:

Charles Thornton has spent over 30 years engineering some of the world’s tallest and most innovative structures. Committed to educating the next generation of architects, engineers, and construction professionals, he founded ACE, a national mentoring program for high school students. His career and personal life are guided by the mantra of “Passion, Persistence, and Flexibility”.

Topic Description:

Structural engineers and geotechnical engineers often have competing priorities on project teams driven by differences in business practices and risk management. Yet, many engineers on both sides do not understand these differences, which also vary regionally. The result? Project team misunderstandings on all sides due to unclear expectations, resulting in poor project outcomes. This talk will demystify, from the consulting engineer’s perspective, how geotechnical and structural engineers work together to achieve project success. 

Learning goals:

1.       Discuss common ways to contract geotechnical consultants and liabilities associated with each.

2.       Learn the foundation design process from an engineer’s business perspective, including how to write an effective RFP and work with a soils report.

3.       Learn how today’s documents address differing site conditions, including regional variations.

4.       Understand liabilities associated with inspection vs. observations in the construction phase.

This talk will conclude with a panel discussion including local geotechnical and structural engineers. Do you want to know what you can do to be a more effective partner with your geotechnical or structural engineer team member? Then you won’t want to miss this talk and discussion!

Special note: This talk is a compilation of research on best business practices completed by the SEI Business Practices Committee, and will be presented by the current chair of that committee. An earlier version of this talk was selected for presentation during the 2016 joint SEI-GI Congress.

Speaker Biography:

Stephanie Slocum is the founder of Engineers Rising LLC, where she helps engineers learn the leadership and people skills they need to let their technical abilities shine. Prior to founding Engineers Rising in 2018, she worked as a structural engineer for 15 years, working her way up from EIT to Associate Principal. She has extensive experience in the design and structural engineering project management of large commercial building projects, totaling over $500 million dollars in overall construction costs to date. Her experience includes a number of Baltimore-area projects when she worked for Hope Furrer Associates.

Stephanie is the current chair of the Structural Engineering Institute’s Business Practices committee. She is also the author of She Engineers: Outsmart Bias, Unlock Your Potential, and Live the Engineering Career of your Dreams. She graduated with an integrated bachelor’s and master’s in architectural engineering, structural option, from The Pennsylvania State University in 2002. 

Topic Description:

Research conducted at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (aka the Carnegie Mellon College of Engineering) has suggested that only 15% of your financial success is due to your technical expertise. The other 85% is due to your skills in human engineering, i.e. your personality and your ability to deal with people. And as strategic use of economic power translates into influence and recognition, perhaps a closer look at the need for an education involving human engineering is in order. 

It is a fact that a structural engineering education is focused almost exclusively on technical topics with practically no exposure to human engineering. Could that be the reason why the professional fees and compensation for structural engineers do not even begin to reflect the profession's immeasurable contributions to humanity? And why our profession is not even in the running for any high profile recognition or prize, such as a Nobel?

In this talk, Ashraf emphasizes the need for a human engineering based education. He convincingly demonstrates, with his usual enthusiasm and humor, why it is important to cultivate deep personal beliefs, to develop public speaking skills and to become familiar with the arts, human psychology and human chemistry. These talents will enable young engineers to enter the professional world ready to lead, influence and inspire!

Speaker Biography:

Ashraf Habibullah is a Structural Engineer and is President and CEO of Computers and Structures, Inc. He founded CSI in 1975.

Today, CSI is recognized globally as the pioneering leader in the development of software tools for structural and earthquake engineering. The software is used by thousands of engineering firms in over 160 countries for the design of landmark projects such as the Freedom Tower in New York City, the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai and the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing.

Ashraf has led the development of CSI's products for over four decades and has been active as a researcher and educator, conducting international seminars on analytical techniques used in software for structural and earthquake engineering.

Ashraf also has a keen passion for the arts. He is a co-founder of the critically acclaimed Diablo Ballet and the founder of the Engineer’s Alliance for the Arts, an organization that involves school children with technology, focusing on the artistic aspects of bridge engineering.

Topic Description:

The Lions Gate Bridge (LGB) and Ironworkers Memorial Bridge (IWMB) are major highway structures that cross the Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia and are critical links in the provincial highway system. LGB is a suspension bridge with a 1,550 foot main span, and IWMB is a steel arch truss bridge with a 1,100 foot main span. The inlet is the busiest commercial port on Canada’s west coast where marine vessel traffic is projected to increase in both size and frequency. The two bridges were assessed for vessel collision risks based on the probability-based Method II approach specified in the Canadian and AASHTO Highway Bridge Design Codes, and physical pier protection mitigation alternatives were evaluated. Project analysis and design services were provided under contract to the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure by MMM Group (now WSP) with Moffatt & Nichol as a subconsultant on the MMM Team.

Speaker Biography:

Mike Knott is an internationally recognized expert on complex issues related to transportation systems, bridge design, port engineering, rail, and heavy marine foundations. Over a 42-year career, he has developed a unique expertise on the specialized subject of ship and barge collisions with bridge and marine structures. Mike was the principal author of the AASHTO vessel collision specifications and is the author of numerous technical papers and articles dealing with extreme events, risk analysis, bridge pier protection systems and other topics.

In 1987 he was the recipient of the Gustave Willems Award from the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses (PIANC), the first American to ever receive this international prize. He served as Chairman of PORTS’ 95, an international port engineering and planning conference hosted by ASCE and PIANC. In 2004 he served as a consultant to the History Channel television series Modern Marvels, Engineering Disasters #7. In 2000, he was the recipient of the prestigious Crom Lecture Award from the College of Engineering, University of Florida.

Topic Description

• Mystery of live load deflection L/800 limit

• Homogeneous/mixed/hybrid and prismatic/non-prismatic plate girder design  

• Load induced and distortional “surprising” fatigue cracks

• Crossframes, “lean” bracing, and their functions in skewed and curved bridges.

• Toward jointless bridge: Use of link slab on steel girder bridges 

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Chung C. Fu is the Director of the Bridge/Building Engineering Software & Technology (BEST) Center and Research Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park.  He received

his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University and Master of Science and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of Maryland. He is the Fellow of ASCE and Member of the ACI, PSI, AISC and TRB.  He is a registered Professional Engineer in Maryland, Virginia and DC.  Before returning to the University to take the faculty position and established the BEST Center, he was the engineering supervisor of the Bechtel Engineering Corporation at Gaithersburg, Maryland, and conducted/supervised many analysis, design, and construction projects.  Since joining the University, he has been principal investigators on over-100 private, state and federal projects from US DOT, DOD, Federal Highway Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, U.S. Army Corps, World Bank and several Maryland State Agencies, SHA, MDTA, MPA, and MTA. He has given lectures and training courses over 40 states and has provided consulting services throughout the United States and some abroad. He has published over 200 referred and non-referred technical papers and given over 200 presentations worldwide.   

Topic Description

Bridge instrumentation and field testing/monitoring involves various types of sensing and data collection technologies, non-destructive testing/evaluation (NDT/E) techniques, as well as structural testing/monitoring methods. If planned and implemented properly, field instrumentation can provide information on bridge in-situ conditions and actual responses to specific loads, which would not be known otherwise. Applications of bridge instrumentation and field testing/monitoring include bridge load rating, fatigue life assessment, condition and defect assessment, problem diagnosis, and various types of structural performance evaluation. The ultimate goal is to support engineers and bridge owners for better decisions in bridge maintenance, weight restrictions, preservation, and replacement. 

This presentation will discuss several bridge instrumentation and field testing/monitoring methods through example projects. The methods will include diagnostic and proof load testing for bridge load rating, field measurement of stress range histograms for fatigue life assessment, the taut cable vibration measurement (TCVM) method for assessing existing tension in cables or P-T bars, and investigation of signs of distress for effective repair methods. The discussions will address instrumentation plans, data collection and processing methods, testing/monitoring results analysis, comparison with and calibration of analytical models, and finally and most importantly, decision support in bridge maintenance and preservation. 

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Ed Zhou, P.E., is AECOM’s Bridge Instrumentation & Evaluation Lead in North America, with 24 years of experience in field testing and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of various types of bridge structures. Ed has evaluated over 100 bridges across the U.S., including many in Maryland, through field instrumentation, structural monitoring, load testing, non-destructive testing (NDT), and finite element analysis for the purposes of strength evaluation, fatigue life estimation, condition and defect assessment, performance problem diagnosis, and decision support in bridge maintenance, weight posting, preservation, and replacement.  

Ed earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northern Jiaotong University in China, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. He has served in several national technical committees as: past chairman of ASCE Committee on Fatigue & Fracture; member of ASCE Committee on Methods of Monitoring Structural Performance; member of TRB Committee on Field Testing and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Transportation Structures; and member of AREMA Committee 15 Steel Structures and Committee 17 High Speed Rail Systems. Ed taught several graduate courses in bridge engineering as well as the undergraduate civil engineering capstone course Design and Synthesis at Johns Hopkins University between 2000 and 2015. 

Topic Description

As examples of successful tall wood buildings proliferate worldwide, many U.S. design teams are considering how to leverage wood’s sustainability and other advantages through their own tall wood designs.  Intended as a practical overview for those interested in understanding wood’s potential, this presentation will cover the “who, what, when and where” of mass timber buildings.  Following a brief discussion of history and motivators, existing tall wood projects will be used to illustrate mass timber and hybrid components, high-rise structural design concepts, and lessons learned regarding cost and schedule. Topics will also include building code avenues for alternate designs, and available resources and support.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the historical context for tall timber structures, and consider the construction and sustainability motivators driving modern examples.

• Discover the variety of structural components used in mass timber and hybrid projects and, through a series of studies, learn how they can be assembled into systems that address real architectural and structural design constraints.

• Based on surveys done on built projects, understand what lessons have been learned and potential impacts to cost and schedule.

• Realize the construction and sustainability motivators for pursuit of tall wood structures and become familiar with available design guidance and research.

Topic Description

The purpose of ASCE Engineering Practice for Quality in the Constructed Project is to provide project owners, design professionals, and constructors with information and recommendations on opportunities to enhance the quality of constructed projects as well as factors that drive project quality. In its manual on CE practice for delivering quality, ASCE states its guide was not a technical standard, nor a compilation of standard industry practices. The striking feature of the MOP is that unlike the ISO quality frameworks, ASCE's quality vision places the civil engineer on par with the owner and contractor as "customers" in the project execution and delivery. No reference is made to either stakeholder or process in this definition. There are other comparisons to Project Management Institute and ISO, the speaker will discuss these topics. 

Speaker Biography:

Mike graduated with an undergraduate degree in liberal arts, political science and economics as well as a minor degree on soviet studies. He had worked his way through college doing construction jobs during the summer. When Mike started his first year of college, tuition cost was $1,100 a year and the minimum wage was $0.90. Mike quickly realized that he really had wanted to go into engineering and completed his graduate degree in civil engineering in 1975. He quickly passed his EIT and then got his PE in 1978. Overall, Mike has five decades of engineering, construction and project management experience that is split equally between the public and private sectors. He managed his own engineering firm in the 1979-1987 timeframe and then in retirement, starting an engineering non-profit in 2015. Mike is the father of three children, all in their thirties and more recently has had the good fortune to be a proud grandfather of two beautiful grandchildren, Jack and Hannah. He has had a lifelong interest in engineering history and railroads in particular. One of his fond memories was operating a PCC streetcar in Philadelphia in the early 1970s on Germantown avenue (route 23), then, one of the longest streetcar routes in North America. 

Topic Description

The concept of “business ethics,” as economist Milton Friedman summarizes, is “generally … to make as much money as possible while conforming to their basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom.” Conversely, the concept “professional ethics” are often established by professional organizations to help guide members in performing their job functions according to sound and consistent principles, adopted by that professional community. Being caught between the proverbial Scylla of business ethics and the Charybdis of professional ethics can be difficult for engineering professionals to navigate. Many potential problems can arise for those aspiring endeavoring to build a lucrative business, especially one involving professional services that may be considered quasi-engineering, in nature. 

This presentation focuses on the interaction and tensions between professional ethics and business ethics, namely business conflicts of interest, unlicensed practice, and unauthorized practice. These issues necessitate resolving essential questions; the failure to properly navigate the interstices of business and professional ethics could result in reprimand, suspension, fines, revocation of one’s professional license, ruinous liability or the inability to compete, and, in the case of engineering disaster, even death. Many questions arise while balancing between these often opposing ethical poles. For example, what concerns should an engineer consider before being engaged to perform similar services for rival businesses? For a businessperson providing quasi-engineering services, should it matter, from an ethical perspective, if unlicensed an “engineer” provides engineering services? Similarly, should there by any ethical issues if an engineer licensed in one state extends her business into another state without obtaining proper authorization? 

From one perspective, we as a society want to protect the justified and reasonable endeavors of qualified professionals. One the other hand, society has an interest in ensuring minimum safety requirements for services provided by engineers. Sometimes these tensions can be harmonized, but as the provision of services becomes a matter of interstate commerce, these tensions become rather difficult to resolve. These issues, while not exhaustive of their type, represent three of the more ubiquitous and challenging for the 21st century professional/businessperson. The presentation will use several scenarios to illustrate the tensions between the contrasting concepts of professional ethics and business ethics to facilitate discussion.

Speaker Biography:

Troy S. Brown is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Brown graduated summa cum laude from Morgan State University in 1999, where he earned a B.A. in political science. Mr. Brown earned his J.D. in 2003 from Harvard Law School, and his masters in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Mr. Brown is a practicing attorney and currently works with the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was an associate professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law and a visiting professor at Vytautas Magnus University Law School, where he taught Professional Responsibility and Conflict of Laws. Mr. Brown was also an associate at McGuireWoods, LLP, in Atlanta, Georgia where he practiced intellectual property and complex commercial litigation and represented franchisors, Fortune 500 companies, and major financial institutions in a broad range of litigation matters. He is a member of several professional legal groups including the American Bar Association and the Gate City Bar American.

Mr. Brown's research interests lie in governmental responses to crises, law and policy, and law and economics.

Topic Description

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is one of the major breakthroughs in concrete technology in the last two centuries. It is a fiber-reinforced, cementitious material that offers exceptional mechanical and durability performance, including compressive strengths exceeding 22,000 psi and excellent resistance against environmental degradation. For this reason, UHPC is being considered for a wide variety of structural and architectural applications to provide innovative design solutions. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has taken significant interest in this material as part of their Every Day Counts program to promote accelerated bridge construction (ABC) through the use of prefabricated bridge elements. Field-cast UHPC is used in this case to join prefabricated elements on-site to form simple, strong, durable connections for improved long-term performance. Over 180 bridges throughout North America have been constructed using this type of system. This presentation will discuss what UHPC is, what characteristics it exhibits, the advantages to using it, and the various structural applications that have proven successful over the years. 

Speaker Biography:

Gregory Nault, PE, SE is currently a project manager with LafargeHolcim, a world-leading concrete supplier that manufactures ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) under the brand name Ductal®. Greg works closely with engineers and owners to provide innovative design solutions using UHPC. Prior to joining LafargeHolcim, Greg spent 8 years as a professional engineer designing bridge structures for highway and railway projects. He received his BSCE from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his MSCE from the University at Buffalo (UB). Greg is a registered professional engineer in five states and a registered structural engineer in Illinois. He is an active member of various ACI and PCI Committees and is an Advisory Board member for the Institute of Bridge Engineering at UB. 

Topic Description

Bridge foundations are designed based on the AASHTO LRFD Design Specifications, 7th Edition, 2014.  The specifications provide design guidelines for the design of different foundation elements, however, the selection of the appropriate foundation type for support of the bridge structure is ultimately the responsibility of the designer.  The selection of the appropriate foundation type is typically based on one or more of the following factors:

        •The magnitude and type of foundation loads. 

        •The subsurface conditions at the site

        •Cost of the foundation type

        •Special design considerations such as scour and downdrag loads

        •Availability of technology and local practice

        •Constructability

 For designers to fully incorporate constructability into their design, the designers must have a thorough knowledge of the construction process; experience in the construction planning process and field operations; and knowledge of the available technology and resources, to achieve the overall project objectives.  Most designers do not have this level of knowledge, therefore, while constructability is already practiced to some extent by designers, some aspects of constructability is sometimes overlooked in the design and selection process of foundations – which could lead to project delays, cost overruns, or even litigation.   

This presentation provides an overview of some of the constructability issues related to different foundation types, and discusses some of the constructability issues that the designer should evaluate when selecting foundations in the following environments: 

        •Urban fill

        •Soft compressible soils

        •Lateral resistance

        •Available space/Site constraints

        •Karst/Sinkholes

        •Scour

        •Depth to rock

Speaker Biography:

Steve Fung is a senior associate at Schnabel Engineering and has over 15 years of experience in geotechnical engineering analysis and design, construction inspection services, and project management.  He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Guyana and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, and is a registered professional engineer in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.  He has specialized geotechnical engineering experience in deep and shallow bridge foundation design, design of support of excavation walls, slope stabilization design, and the evaluation of soil-structure interaction problems.  

Steve has served as Secretary and Vice-President on the board of the Maryland chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Structural Engineering Institute.