MCEER Highway Project Research
Improving
the seismic performance and reliability of the nations' highway system is the
overall aim of MCEER's Highway Project. The project was
initiated in the fall of 1992 with two Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
contracts totaling more than $14 million. In 1998, MCEER received an
additional 6-year, $10.8 million FHWA contract to expand on work begun in 1992. Research
is augmented by additional contracts from FHWA and other agencies.
The project uniquely examines the impact of earthquakes on the highway system
as an integrated network, rather than a collection of individual roads, bridges,
embankments, tunnels, etc. Projects seek to ensure the usability of highways
following earthquakes, by improving performance of all interconnected components.
Overall goals are to improve understanding of the seismic hazards to highways
and to improve and develop analysis methods, screening procedures and additional
tools, retrofit technologies, design criteria, and other approaches to reduce
seismic vulnerability of existing and future highway infrastructure.
Studies examine:
- seismic hazards and ground motion
- soils and foundations
- structural systems and components
- performance criteria
- analysis and design issues
- intelligent and protective systems
In all, MCEER highway research involves more than 40 investigators from over
20 institutions throughout the United States.
Announcements
Sixth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways
Charleston, SC, July 27-30, 2008
The Sixth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways will focus on earthquake risk and include discussions on hurricanes, flooding, and other hazards. This sixth conference is a series is being organized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and MCEER, University at Buffalo. The theme is Seismic Technologies for Extreme Loads.
Conference Program and Highlights
Fourth US-Taiwan Bridge Engineering Workshop
The Fourth US-Taiwan Bridge Engineering Workshop will
be held in Princeton, New Jersey at the Chauncey Conference Center August 4- 5, 2008. More
New Seismic Guide Specification Adopted for LRFD Design of Highway Bridges
At their July 2007 annual meeting, the AASHTO Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures voted to adopt a new seismic guide specification for LRFD design of highway bridges. The approved two part ballot item updates the current force-based design specification to reflect the use of a 1000 year return period and also presents a newly developed seismic guide specification that uses a displacement based approach.
NTSB makes recommendation following Minnesota bridge collapse
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) made a recommendation to FHWA on gusset plates in steel truss bridges as the result of an interim finding from its investigation of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. more
