My Calendar

Events in July 2026

  • Structural Design with Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)

    Category: Monthly Webinar Structural Design with Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)

    –
    July 23, 2026

    David Garber, Ph.D., P.E., Senior Bridge Engineer, Office of Bridges and Structures, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA);  Rafic Helou, Ph.D., Research Structural Engineer, Office of Infrastructure, Research and Development, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

    Presentation begins: 06:48
    Q&A begins: 46:10

    Documents:
    Presentation slides:  July Monthly Webinar - Structural Design with UHPC
    Intro & News slides:  News - Intro Slides July 2026

    Description:

    Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) offers enhanced mechanical and durability properties that make it an ideal material for use in the construction, repair, and preservation of our Nation’s highway bridges. Research related to UHPC has been ongoing for the past few decades. The use of UHPC for primary structural members has emerged as a compelling application. The release of the AASHTO LRFD Guide Specification for Structural Design with Ultra-High Performance Concrete is expected to allow designers to begin engaging UHPC. In this presentation, you will learn about the advantages of using UHPC primary structural elements and a brief overview of the general design process including some of the key differences as compared to design with conventional concrete.  Available examples and sample designs will be included.

    Presenters:

    David Garber, Ph.D., P.E.
    Senior Bridge Engineer
    Office of Bridges and Structures
    Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

     

    David Garber is a Senior Bridge Engineer for FHWA’s Office of Bridges and Structures. In this role, he provides expertise in concrete bridges, UHPC, and load rating to internal and external stakeholders. David previously served as Associate Professor and Interim Department Chair at Florida International University before joining FHWA in June 2023. His previous research, which included large-scale experimental and analytical efforts, focused on the behavior and design of prestressed and reinforced concrete members, accelerated bridge construction, and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). David is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida.

    Rafic Helou, Ph.D.
    Research Structural Engineer
    Office of Research, Development, and Technology
    Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

    Rafic Helou is a Research Structural Engineer for the FHWA’s Office of Infrastructure,  Research and Development. His research focuses on addressing key challenges in the highway concrete bridge community through innovative, research-based, and experimentally validated solutions. Rafic has been with the FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center for over nine years in various capacities, stepping into his current role in December 2022. He has extensive expertise in UHPC, has authored numerous publications on its material characterization and structural design, and actively contributes to national efforts to develop UHPC-related guidance. His contributions to the field have been recognized with the 2024 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

    Presentation Photos/Graphics:


    1) Mars Hill Bridge in Wapello County, Iowa. 42-inch-deep UHPC I girders with 110-foot span constructed in 2006.

    2) Route 624 over Cat Point Creek Bridge in Richmond County, Virginia. 45-inch-deep UHPC I girders with 81.5-foot span constructed in 2008.


    3) Possible advantages of UHPC primary structural elements.


    4) Possible optimization of UHPC bulb-tee cross section.

  • Using Dog and Magnetic Field to Accurately Detect Corrosion in Steel Strands Embedded in Concrete

    Category: Graduate Student Seminar Using Dog and Magnetic Field to Accurately Detect Corrosion in Steel Strands Embedded in Concrete

    –
    July 31, 2026

    Atorod Azizinamini, Ph.D., P.E., Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FIU
    Kenneth G. Furton, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, FIU
    Carlos Concha Avila, Ph.D. Student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FIU

    presentation begins:  05:31
    Q & A begins:  46:11

    Presentation Documents:
    IBT-ABC July 2026 Quarterly Research Seminar Presentation Slides
    Intro & News Slides

    Description:
    This project evaluated the potential for combining the accuracy of canines to detect corrosion odors validation by MFL sensor technology. Five dogs have been shown to be able to be trained to reliably locate corrosion odors contained within specific spots along concrete structures and the dogs have also identified specific odor chemicals in the laboratory. Overall the study demonstrated that canines can achieve a near-perfect accuracy in locating hidden corrosion sites during blind trails (98.7% sensitivity and 88.7% specificity). The canine corrosion odor detection and MFL sensor technology provides for a high-accuracy complementary method for identifying hidden structural corrosion.

    Presenters:


    Atorod Azizinamini, Ph.D., P.E.
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Florida International University
    email:  aazizi@fiu.edu


    Kenneth G. Furton, Ph.D.
    Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    Florida International University
    email:  furtonk@fiu.edu


    Carlos Concha Avila, Ph.D. Student
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Florida International University
    email:  cconc035@fiu.edu

    For more information: Please contact us by sending an email to abc@fiu.edu.