CAEE Seminar: High Performance Sustainable Materials and Design Techniques used in Accelerated Bridge Construction

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Wishnick Hall, Room 113, 3255 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL
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The Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering department and Dr. Mehdi Modares will be hosting a seminar featuring Professor of Structural and Materials Engineering, Director, Structural and Concrete Research Laboratory at University of Illinois at Chicago, Mohsen A. Issa, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., FACI, F.ASCE. The topic of the seminar will be High Performance Sustainable Materials and Design Techniques used in Accelerated Bridge Construction.

Abstract

One of the challenges in concrete bridge construction and rehabilitation is providing cost effective, sustainable, and durable structures with optimum performance for short and long term life cycle. These challenges include safety, cost efficiency, strength capacity and serviceability, durability performance, ease of construction, minimum interference with traffic flow, and minimum maintenance requirements. Dr. Issa worked for many years on accelerated bridge construction (ABC), which adopt the use of precast concrete components, with his earliest work dating back as early as 1991. ABC has the advantage to overcome all the obstacles encountered by in situ bridge construction. Dr. Issa has conducted extensive research on the full depth precast/prestressed concrete bridge decks. His work included developing new techniques in the post tensioning of precast panels, improved configuration of joints and shear pockets as well as grouting materials. His work contributed to developing guidelines on the design and construction of precast concrete bridge deck panels. Recently, Dr. Issa has successfully designed and constructed a fully precast prefabricated concrete counterfort retaining wall system and tested its structural performance. This application is currently in use by the Illinois Tollway Authority.

As a result of Dr. Issa’s work many DOTs adopted the use of ABC. The methodology does not only meet the immediate project needs but also those that will arise on the long term. This has gained ABC popularity for representing the slogan of “GET IN, GET OUT, AND STAY OUT” according to the FHWA for repairing and rehabilitating the U.S. infrastructure.

In addition, Dr. Issa has recently completed a 30 month study to develop and test the performance of concrete for bridge decks and pavements when using higher quantities of supplementary cementitious materials and waste byproducts such as limestone and inorganic processing addition. The study concluded an improved durability performance with more sustainable concrete mix designs. These mixes are currently in use in all pavement and bridge deck applications in Illinois including ABC components.