Education

This conference is a follow up to a 1997 conference held in Kona, Hawaii, entitled "First Engineering Foundation Conference on High Strength Concrete". The second conference, to be held in 2001, will focus on the use of advanced materials in bridge construction. The advanced materials will include High Performance Steel, High Performance Concrete and Fiber Reinforced Polymers. The conference will be one week long. The Engineering Foundation conferences are formatted such that it allows ample time for interaction between participants for exchange of information. Attendance at this conference is by invitation only and will be limited to approximately 120 participants. The conference will be chaired by Dr. Atorod Azizinamini. The co-chairs of the conference are Dr. Fumio Watanabe of Kyoto University in Japan and Mr. Mike Ritter of the USDA Forest Service.

This conference will bring together designers, fabricators, contractors, state and federal agencies and academia to share, discuss and develop a vision for enhancing steel bridge design and construction for the new millennium. The topics to be presented in the conference will include: 1) Steel bridge design and construction as practiced around the globe, 2) Material characteristics of high performance steel, 3) Market demand and supply for high performance steel, 4) Latest advances and developments in welding technologies, 5) Latest AASHTO changes affecting design of steel bridges, 6) Steel bridge configurations for the new millennium, 7) Fabricators perspectives for implementing changes that could enhance steel bridge fabrication, 8) Contractors perspectives for improving the construction of steel bridges, 9) Experiences of states utilizing high performance steel in bridge construction and 10) Steel versus concrete alternatives: Which is economical. The highlight of the conference will be a panel discussion with representatives of state departments of transportation, federal government, designers, fabricators, contractors, non-profit organizations representing the interests of the steel bridge industry, and academia to discuss important issues related to steel bridge design and construction. It is expected that more than 15 state bridge engineers will serve on the panel.

This six hour long design class will be devoted to the design of steel bridges using the latest edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. While steel bridges will be the focus, analysis issues common to other bridge types will also be discussed. Provisions and changes in the new LRFD specifications and example problems will be reviewed.

Use of High Performance Steel (HPS) is gaining popularity. This conference will bring together designers, State DOT engineers, fabricators, suppliers and contractors to discuss the latest developments in the field of steel bridges with emphasis on HPS. The format of the conference consists of providing a world view of steel bridge design and construction, followed by a detailed description of the latest activities in the U.S. in the field of HPS. Each day, the conference will conclude with a two hour panel discussion. The panel consists of more than 20 state DOT bridge engineers. In addition, consultants, fabricators and contractors will also be present on the panel. A social hour is planned at the conclusion of the first day of the seminar.

This four hour long design class will be devoted to the new design philosophy as outlined in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. While steel bridges will be the focus, analysis issues common to other bridge types will also be discussed. Provisions and changes in the new LRFD specifications and example problems will be reviewed.

A research delegation from South Korea visited the National Bridge Research Organization (NaBRO) at UNL for developing a cooperative research program in the area of bridge engineering. The South Korean delegation gave presentations on the state of bridge engineering practice in South Korea and the development of an innovative bridge system.

The main purpose of this meeting is to obtain input in selecting an innovative bridge configuration system to be used in Phase III of the Nebraska High Performance Steel Bridge Initiative. The meeting begins with a presentation given by Kenneth Price of J. Muller International and the National Bridge Research Organization (NaBRO) on possible innovative bridge system configurations. The remaining portion of the meeting is devoted to obtaining input in electing the most promising innovative bridge configuration system.

Dr. Jiri Strasky is professor of concrete structures at the Technical University of Brno, Czech Republic, and principal of the firm Strasky, Husty and Partners which specializes in bridge design and construction engineering. Dr. Strasky's presentation shows examples of bridges around the world where challenging structural and constructional constraints were converted to opportunities showcasing the ingenuity of merging artistic beauty and structural efficiency.

Mr. David Sinsheimer manages the home office design engineering services for Kiewit Engineering Co. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, he has 19 years experience with Kiewit and is registered in 17 states. Mr. Sinsheimer will make a presentation on the firm's major bridge projects.

The objective of this presentation is to introduce a modified version of a productive welding process for joining thick plates or other thick wall components. The audience includes State Department of Transportation (DOT) bridge engineers, welding engineers, welding inspectors, operators, steel bridge fabricators, consultants, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) representatives and others.

The primary task is to transfer the new ESW technology to State DOT's and bridge fabricators so that the NGI ESW process may be confidently applied to production welds for bridge members.

This course is devoted to the new design philosophy as outlined in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. While steel bridges are the focus, analysis issues common to other bridge types will also be discussed. Provisions and changes in the new LRFD specifications and example problems are reviewed.

The seven-week curriculum provides an opportunity for participants to become familiar with the extensive changes incorporated into the new bridge code.