About the Conference
The 2024 World Bridge Engineering Conference is a great opportunity to learn about the latest developments in bridge engineering which can be immediately integrated into practice. Presentations will cover all bridge and construction types providing an excellent platform to learn about the Innovative Bridge Technologies including, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in bridge engineering, advances in 3D printing using concrete and metal, Accelerated Bridge Construction, policies, contracting methods, and marketing strategies that facilitate the construction of bridges using various materials and techniques. Case histories of successful national and international projects including emerging technologies will be presented. For complete list of topics please see the description below. Past conferences (held in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022) have been attended by more than 700 bridge professionals, including over 150 state DOT bridge engineers.
Who Should Attend the Conference?
Bridge design engineers; consultants; fabricators; erectors; precasters; construction professionals; maintenance engineers; transportation officials; policy makers; marketing professionals; federal, state, and local agencies; city, county, and regional officials; industry suppliers; academicians; and bridge professionals with any aspect of bridge design, construction, or maintenance.
Program
2024 World Bridge Engineering Conference Program at a Glance
Conference Workshops
Join us at our upcoming conference for a hands-on workshop on Thursday, December 12, 2024, on Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), where you’ll gain practical experience with this innovative material. Discover how UHPC can revolutionize your construction projects with its exceptional strength, durability, and sustainability. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and network with peers in the field.
Stay tuned for updates.
Sign up now for our free workshop!
For questions regarding the program and workshops please contact Atorod Azizinamini via email at aazizina@fiu.edu. Please visit the Conference Archives to view the programs of past conferences.
Co-Sponsors
FHWA, and 32 State Departments of Transportation will be co-sponsoring the 2024 World Bridge Engineering Conference. Following is the current list of Conference Co-Sponsors:
| Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) | Wyoming Dept. of Transportation |
| Alabama Dept. of Transportation | Michigan Dept. of Transportation |
| Alaska DOT&PF | Minnesota Dept. of Transportation |
| Arizona Dept. of Transportation | Mississippi Dept. of Transportation |
| Arkansas Dept. of Transportation | Missouri Dept. of Transportation |
| California Dept. of Transportation | Nebraska Dept. of Transportation |
| Colorado Dept. of Transportation | Nevada Dept. of Transportation |
| Connecticut Dept. of Transportation | Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation |
| Delaware Dept. of Transportation | Oregon Dept. of Transportation |
| Florida Dept. of Transportation | Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation |
| Georgia Dept. of Transportation | South Carolina Dept. of Transportation |
| Illinois Dept. of Transportation | Tennessee Dept. of Transportation |
| Indiana Dept. of Transportation | Texas Dept. of Transportation |
| Iowa Dept. of Transportation | Utah Dept. of Transportation |
| Kansas Dept. of Transportation | Vermont Agency of Transportation |
| Louisiana Dept. of Transp. & Dev. | Washington State DOT |
| Maine Dept. of Transportation | Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation |
To become a co-sponsor, please contact Atorod Azizinamini (aazizina@fiu.edu).
Keynote Speakers
Keynote Speaker: Michael Knott, PE
Presentation Title What bridge designers should know about ships colliding with bridges and how to prevent collapse.
Presentation Description: Colliding ships and barges with bridges are accidents waiting to happen and measures must be taken to ensure safety. In this keynote talk, Mike will provide historical examples of major cases involving large ships and barges colliding with bridges. He will also provide summary of available methods and guidelines on how to protect bridges from collapsing during collision.
Bio: Michael Knott, PE, is Senior Vice President Emeritus, with Moffatt & Nichol. He is a world recognized expert on complex issues related to transportation systems, bridge design, port engineering, rail development, intermodal facilities, and heavy marine foundations. During his 47+ year career, he has developed a unique expertise on the specialized subject of ship and barge collisions with bridges and marine structures. He was the principal author of the AASHTO Guide Specification on Vessel Collision Design of Highway Bridges, 2nd Edition 2009, as well as the previous edition published in 1991. Michael Knott was a selected member of the national team of bridge experts which developed the original AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications in 1994 and assisted in the preparation of the 2009 update. He was also a selected member the team of national experts that developed the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Bridges Vulnerable to Coastal Storms, 2008 in the aftermath of the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast states.
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Marwan Nader, PhD, PE, P.Eng., Eng., Senior VP, TYLin 
Bio: Marwan Nader is a Senior Vice President and TYLin’s Chief Bridge Engineer. With 31 years of experience, Dr. Nader provides leadership and strategic direction for TYLin’s global bridge practice. He works with Global Infrastructure to promote collaboration across TYLin and their affiliate companies, providing integrated services to clients worldwide.
With over 31 years of experience in all phases of bridge design, construction engineering, and forensic engineering, Dr. Nader is known worldwide as an industry leader in ground-breaking seismic engineering technologies. He has also led TYLI teams on some of the world’s most complex and iconic bridge projects.
Currently, Dr. Nader is the Chief Engineer for the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, a project comprised of two cable-stayed bridges with main spans of 900 and 400 meters, and 25 kilometers of marine viaducts in Manila, Philippines.
He is the Engineer of Record for the cable-stayed main span and the Design Manager for the 3.4km, Samuel De Champlain Bridge in Montreal, Canada. His global bridge expertise extends from his hometown of San Francisco where he was the Engineer of Record for the award-winning, single-tower Self-anchored Suspension Span (SAS) of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which lies in a high seismic zone. Utilizing leading research on the use of shear link beams used in eccentrically braced building frames, Dr. Nader designed the signature tower to comprise four separate, steel legs connected by seismic movement-absorbing shear link beams, an industry first. He also led the design of the SAS’s unique, three-dimensional, single-cable, looped suspension cable system, which uses the largest cable saddle in the world.
Dr. Nader earned his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992, followed by a Post Doctorate in the institution’s Structural Engineering, Management and Materials (SEMM) Program. Following his doctoral research on the seismic performance of steel structures, Dr. Nader’s dissertation guidelines on the design of semi-rigid steel connections were adopted by the American Institute of Steel Construction in its Seismic Design Manual.
In 2014, Dr. Nader was selected for the Distinguished Alumni of the Year by American University of Beirut. In 2015, He was appointed to UC Berkeley’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Advisory Council, a committee of leaders in business, higher education, and government dedicated to furthering engineering education and research. In 2016, Dr. Nader received IABMAS’ Senior Prize in recognition of his contributions to the bridge engineering field.
Keynote Speaker: Eugen Brühwiler, Prof. em. Ph.D., P.E.,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) Lausanne, Switzerland
Presentation Title Current developments in Europe in rescuing existing bridges with UHPC
Presentation Description: UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composite) is now readily used in Europe to salvage deteriorating existing reinforced concrete and steel-concrete composite road bridges. The main idea is to add a thin waterproof UHPC strengthening layer to a reinforced concrete member to increase its structural resistance and improve its durability. Several recent UHPC project realizations are presented together with their underlying design concepts and items of dimensioning, execution, costs and environmental impact. Finally, recently built new UHPC bridges in lightweight construction and next steps in using UHPC for durable and sustainable road infrastructure will be highlighted.
Bio: Eugen Brühwiler is an Honorary Professor of structural engineering at EPFL – the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne Switzerland. His activities include modern methods of fatigue and safety assessment of existing bridges using data from monitoring as well as the use of UHPC for the rehabilitation and strengthening of bridges and the design of new bridges. As a consulting engineer, he is involved in numerous UHPC projects, mostly related to bridges and buildings, in Switzerland and abroad.
Keynote Speaker: Changsu Shim, PhD, Professor, Department of Civil,
Environmental Engineering and Urban Design, Chung-Ang University
Presentation Title Digitalized highway bridge construction using smart technologies in Korea
Presentation Description: When a country faces a shortage of skilled labor in the construction industry, the development of prefabricated construction becomes essential. Prefabricated construction can also incorporate automated machinery and advanced technologies, further reducing the need for extensive manual labor. In this presentation, a national program on smart construction will be introduced. This initiative champions the adoption of digital, model-based design practices tailored for prefabricated components, ensuring seamless automated fabrication and pre-assembly processes, as evidenced in several highway construction projects in Korea. Central to the program is the establishment of an automated fabrication facility, complemented by sophisticated digital geometry inspection technologies. The pilot deployment of these smart technologies has yielded valuable insights and recommendations for enhancing Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) methodologies, marking a significant leap forward in the realm of prefabricated bridge construction.
Bio: Dr. Shim is a Professor at Chung-Ang University, Seoul, specializing in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Urban Design. He focuses on Building Information Modeling (BIM) for bridge design, construction, and maintenance, along with digital twin technology and 3D concrete printing. As President of the Korean Institute of BIM and Vice President of the Korean Society of Steel Construction, Dr. Shim has significantly contributed to the field and has played a key role in shaping Korean design codes. He has innovated in the field of bridge construction by developing a range of modular components, including comprehensive precast deck systems, prestressed concrete girders, and precast prestressed concrete piers. He is advancing the application of digital models in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) specifically tailored for bridge projects. Currently, he leads a national research program on smart construction technologies, emphasizing digital models for prefabricated bridges.
Keynote Speaker: Benjamin A. Graybeal, Ph.D, P.E.,
U.S. Federal Highway Administration
Presentation Title Solutions that Move the Needle
Presentation Description: Bridges and the bridge engineering sector are at an inflection point. On one hand, highway infrastructure from the the post-WWII construction boom is in need of a refresh; on the other hand, we have new structural materials, new design and construction tools, and new insights into bridge performance. His remarks will focus on opportunities to build on our past successes while leaning into the solutions of today and tomorrow.
Bio: Benjamin Graybeal is the team leader for Bridge Engineering Research in the FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research. His Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees are from Lehigh Univeristy, his Ph.D is from the University of Maryland, and his P.E. is from Virginia. His expertise includes bridge engineering, structural concrete, concrete materials, and forensic investigations. He has 25 years’ worth of experience developing and delivering research-based solutions to challenges in the bridge sector.
Keynote Speaker: Mark A. Finlayson, PhD, Florida International University
Presentation Title What is Artificial Intelligence, and Why Should Bridge Engineers Care?
Presentation Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm. But many remain confused and concerned: What is Artificial Intelligence really? Where did it come from? How can we use it? Is it going to take our jobs? And is it going to take over the world, Terminator-style? In this talk, I cut through the hype to provide a high-level overview of AI—it’s purpose, origin, history, and potential future—and outline productive ways to think about how we can productively use AI for our benefit, both broadly across society and specifically in Bridge Engineering. I examine the latest AI generative text and image models (e.g., ChatGPT), describing how they work and suggesting opportunities for how they might be leveraged by Bridge Engineers, all the while pointing out important caveats and limitations. We will leave time for questions and discussion.
Bio: Dr. Mark A. Finlayson is Eminent Scholar Chaired Associate Professor of Computer Science in the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences (KFSCIS) at Florida International University (FIU). His research intersects natural language processing, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computational linguistics, and the digital humanities. He received his Ph.D. from MIT in computer science in 2012 under the supervision of Patrick H. Winston. He also holds the M.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT (2001) and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1998). Finlayson is a recipient of an NSF CAREER Award (2018), an IBM Faculty Award (2019), and a DARPA Young Faculty Award (2021). His work has been funded by NSF, NIH, ONR, DARPA, DHS, DOT, MITRE, and IBM.
Keynote Speaker: Atorod Azizinamini, PhD, PE, Florida International University
Presentation Title: 3D printing with concrete
Presentation Description: 3D printing or additive manufacturing is here and is being accepted by construction industry at a very fast pace. The economy of 3D printing is bound to assist in its widespread use. While layer by layer 3D printing is dominant form, nevertheless other innovative 3D printing techniques are recently developed. Durability and long-term performance of 3D printed structural elements are essential. This presentation will provide state of practice in 3D printing and latest technologies and equipment that can be utilized to successfully construct bridge structural elements and system. Examples of successful application will be provided.
Bio: Dr. Atorod Azizinamini, Ph.D., P.E., is Director of Infrastructure Research and Innovation at Florida International University and Vasant Surti Professor of Civil Engineering. He is also Director of IBT/ABC-UTC at FIU.
His research areas focus on development of innovative solutions to address challenges facing nation’s bridges and leading the development of innovative technologies, capable of advancing the bridge engineering. He has developed several bridge engineering products and systems. He has received number of awards that includes 2015 White House Champion of Change: Transportation Innovator award. He is currently leading an effort to develop the first and most comprehensive Accelerated Bridge Construction Handbook.
Keynote Speaker: John R. Hillman, PE, SE, Structures Engineering Director, Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc.
Presentation Title: Circular Evolution of Bridge Project Delivery
Presentation Description: The methodology for project delivery of bridges is often overshadowed by the technical aspects of design and construction. However, over the last two centuries, the methods of delivery have had an indisputable impact on the evolution of bridge technologies. Beginning with the early catalog bridges and bridge companies that dared to span greater and greater distances, to the evolution of consulting firms led by mavericks of bridge design and construction to the emergence of progressive design build, the circular evolution of project delivery vehicles provides an interesting insight to our legacy as builders of bridges.
Bio: Mr. Hillman has been working as a structural engineer in the inspection, construction and design of unique bridges for over 38 years. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1986 Mr. Hillman began his career working on the construction of a cable-stayed bridge in Richmond, VA. Following this assignment, he completed his Master’s degree at Virginia Tech in 1990, where he discovered his penchant for inventing with the development of innovative floor systems for steel framed buildings. He currently serves as the Structures Engineering Director for Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc. out of Lone Tree, CO, where he manages a team of over 180 structural engineers in eight offices spread over three countries. One of Mr. Hillman’s more notable assignments included managing the construction of a 1,260 foot incrementally launched bridge in Puerto Rico in the early 1990’s when he was only 27 years old. More recently Mr. Hillman served as conceptual designer, project manager and Engineer of Record for the award winning 35th Street Pedestrian Bridge over Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, IL. He has been Engineer of Record for almost every type of bridge structure imaginable, including a Cable-Stay, an Arch, a Truss and a Suspension Bridge as well as numerous conventional structures.
Dr. Danielle Whitlow is a Research Civil Engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Through her 15-year tenure with ERDC, she has led research in large scale structural testing, remote assessment of civil infrastructure for military use, and has been actively engaged in international collaboration for standardization of assessment practices. She leverages emergent assessment techniques from other disciplines and brings them to bear on the problem of remote structural assessments, including remote persistent monitoring and exploitation of satellite or other overhead imagery in conjunction with knowledge of non-U.S. construction and maintenance practices. Her novel and unconventional approach has resulted in new tools and techniques that enhance Warfighter safety, while advancing the state-of-the-art in bridge assessment as applied to both military and civil infrastructure challenges.
Keynote Speaker: : R. Danielle Whitlow, PhD, PE, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).
Presentation Title:Adapt and Overcome: The Challenges to Military Engineering
Presentation Description: Bridge engineering has never been more advanced than it is today. However, the sector of military engineering faces complexities not seen in the civilian design realm. Structural engineers tasked with solving critical military engineering problems must contend with a lack of information coupled with limited resources and compressed timelines. This presentation will discuss unique challenges faced in the world of military engineering vs. traditional civil engineering as well as identify crucial areas of collaboration for the future. system. Examples of successful application will be provided.
Bio: Dr. Danielle Whitlow is a Research Civil Engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Through her 15-year tenure with ERDC, she has led research in large scale structural testing, remote assessment of civil infrastructure for military use, and has been actively engaged in international collaboration for standardization of assessment practices. She leverages emergent assessment techniques from other disciplines and brings them to bear on the problem of remote structural assessments, including remote persistent monitoring and exploitation of satellite or other overhead imagery in conjunction with knowledge of non-U.S. construction and maintenance practices. Her novel and unconventional approach has resulted in new tools and techniques that enhance Warfighter safety, while advancing the state-of-the-art in bridge assessment as applied to both military and civil infrastructure challenges.
Keynote Speaker: Frank Jalinoos, Coatings and Corrosion Laboratory, (FHWA) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
Presentation Title: Foundation Reuse in ABC Projects
Presentation Description: Foundation reuse can result in significant savings in costs and accelerated project delivery. In this presentation Frank discusses the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report on the reuse of bridge foundations. The FHWA report addresses critical issues encountered during the decision-making process, including the assessment of existing bridge foundations for structural/ geotechnical integrity, durability, and load-carrying capacity—including prominent case histories. Recent initiatives on foundation reuse will be discussed including the Deep Foundation Institute (DFI) foundation reuse task force and dedicated international conferences on this topic.
Bio: Frank Jalinoos is the manager of the Coatings and Corrosion Laboratory at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) located at McLean, Virginia and a member of the Long-Term Infrastructure Performance (LTIP) team. Frank has more than 40 years of experience in bridge condition evaluation for corrosion (durability) and structural integrity, structural monitoring, underwater imaging, and geophysical ground imaging. Over the years, Frank’s research has included condition assessment of concrete, steel and timber bridge members, foundation characterization, underwater scour imaging, and post-hazard assessment of bridges after extreme events.
Sponsors
DIAMOND SPONSORS
Gresham Smith
www.greshamsmith.com
RS&H
www.rsandh.com
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2024 World Bridge Engineering Conference.
| Level | Amount | Participation IDs | Poster Ad Display at Conference | Special Benefits and Recognition at Conference | Recognition conference web site |
| Double Diamond | $8,500 | 3 | Full poster ad | 5 minutes presentation of your company in the General Session (limit 3 companies)Special recognition and Plaque at General session.Full page ad, Name and logo in conference program and proceedings. | Name and Logo |
| Diamond | $5,500 | 2 | Half poster ad | 5 minutes presentation of your company in the beginning of one of the parallel technical sessions of your choice (limit 3 companies)Special recognition and Plaque at General session.Half page ad, name and logo in conference program and proceedings. | Name and Logo |
| Platinum | $3,500 | 1 | Name w/ Company Logo | Special recognition at the General session. Name and logo in conference program and proceedings. | Name and Logo |
| Gold | $2,500 | Name w/ Company Logo | Recognition at General session. Name and logo in conference program and proceedings. | Name and Logo | |
| Silver | $1,500 | Name Displayed | Recognition at General session. Name displayed in conference program and proceedings. | Name Displayed |
To become a sponsor or learn more about sponsorship opportunities, click here . If you have additional questions, please contact Mina Saremi via email at msaremi@fiu.edu or at (954) 895-7728 with any questions.
Exhibiting Companies
Acrow Corporation of America 
AIT Composites, A Division of Basalt International Inc. 
ALLPLAN 
Carl Stahl DecorCable 
CMC 
Computers and Structures, Inc. 
Contractors Materials Company 
Cor Tuf UHPC 
CTS Cement Manufacturing 
CX Consulting, Inc. 
D.S. Brown 
Engineered Rigging 
Eriksson Software 
FATZER AG 
FPT Infrastructure 
Headed Reinforcement Corporation (HRC) 
Hydro-Technologies / Modified Concrete Suppliers 
IBT/ABC-UTC 
InQuik Bridge Systems 
JET Filter System, LLC
Kwik Bond Polymers LLC 
LARSA, Inc. 
McDonough Marine Service 
MIDASoft 
MST-BAR 
National Concrete Bridge Council (NCBC) 
Premier Steel Services 
RADISE International 
RBC Lubron Bearing Systems Inc. 
Restoration Partners LLC 
R. J. Watson, Inc. 
Sileto Technologies 
SmartUp UHPC 
Splice Sleeve North America, Inc. 
StartUP FIU 
Structural Technologies 
TOKUSEN., U.S.A Inc. 
TU Wien, E212-2 
TYLin 
UHPC Solutions North America 
Valmont Industries 
Vector Corrosion Technologies 
Exhibitor’s Sponsorship opportunities
Exhibitor opportunities are available for the 2024 World Bridge Engineering Conference. Don’t miss the opportunity to exhibit your bridge engineering-related products and services at one of the premier bridge engineering conferences of the year.
| Exhibitor Sponsorship Options | Amount | Description and Special Benefits |
| Co-Sponsor Conference Reception ONLY 1 Sponsor | $5,000 | To be held on Wednesday evening in the exhibit hall. |
| ONLY 1 Breakfast Sponsor on Wednesday 12/11/2024 ONLY 1 Breakfast Sponsor on Thursday 12/12/2024 |
$2,500 $2,500 |
Breakfast buffet will be served on Dec 11th and 12th from 7:00AM – 8:00AM in the exhibit hall. |
| ONLY 1 Coffee Sponsor on Wednesday 12/11/2024ONLY 1 Coffee Sponsor on Thursday 12/12/2024 |
$1500 $1500 |
We will offer coffee during the morning and afternoon coffee breaks in the exhibit hall. |
|
Lanyards for Name Badges |
$3500 | Name and company logo will be placed on the Lanyards. * |
| Conference Bag ONLY 1 Sponsor |
$5,000 | Company name and logo will be placed on bag, as well as placing any advertisement materials inside the bag. ** |
| Session sponsorship | $1,500 | 5 minutes presentation of your company and product at beginning of the session of your choice. *** |
*The exhibitor has to provide the labeled lanyards.
⃰ ⃰The exhibitor has to provide the labeled bags. FIU and IBT/ABC-UTC logos will also be placed on the bags.
⃰ ⃰ ⃰Session choice will be based on first come first serve.
To reserve your booth, please send an email to Mrs. Mina Saremi at msaremi@fiu.edu.
Registration
Below is a list of pricing for the 2024 World Bridge Engineering Conference. To register now, click on the link below the table.
| prior to 8/23 | 8/24 – 11/17 | 11/18 – Onsite | |
| General Registration | 675* | 875* | 1075* |
| State DOT, Local and Federal Agencies (U.S. only) | 495* | 575* | 675* |
| Speaker (presenting author)** | 495* | 675* | 875* |
| Students*** | 95* | 105* | 305* |
| * Plus Tax **Only for presenting author ***A valid full-time student ID has to be emailed to msaremi@fiu.edu |
To register for the conference, please click here
Government Registration with Tax Exemption
Government employees using a government credit card and providing a tax exemption certificate are exempt from paying tax. To register for this exemption, please click here.
For more details, reach out to Mina Saremi at msaremi@fiu.edu or +1 (954) 895-7728.
Housing
Accommodations for the 2024 World Bridge Engineering Conference can be made at the Hilton Miami Downtown.
To make a reservation, please visit our housing page of the website by clicking here.
For more information, please send an email to msaremi@fiu.edu or call 958-895-7728.
Sponsored and Organized by
Innovative Bridge Technologies/Accelerated Bridge Construction – University Transportation Center (IBT/ABC-UTC)
Florida International University
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
www.abc-utc.fiu.edu
Conference Chair
Atorod Azizinamini
Email: aazizina@fiu.edu
For video clips capturing highlights of past conferences please click here