Designer of the prototype bridge that collapsed, was awarded "Champion of Change" by Obama. FIU stood to make millions from the patent

FIU has designated five university programs as “preeminent,” a recognition of high-caliber, collaborative work that generates unique learning opportunities, pioneering research and meaningful engagement with the external community while expanding the university’s financial base. This is the first in a series of articles that explores these programs in greater depth. Click here to view an interactive chart explaining each preeminent program.

When Atorod Azizinamini stood in the White House in 2015 to be honored as a “Champion of Change,” he formally accepted a title that many agree has described him for years. With four patents and more than 200 articles to his credit, the chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering boasts a long history of impacting his field, first by working in industry and then spending two highly productive decades at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, before landing at FIU in 2011.

His expertise: building bridges fast.

“The best way I can describe him is as an innovator,” says Monica Starnes, a senior program officer at the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. She worked with Azizinamini when Congress established a $232 million highway research program in 2006. Azizinamini was the principal investigator leading an initiative that resulted in his developing the definitive government guide for enhancing the service life of bridges through design, construction and maintenance.

Nebraska’s state bridge engineer Mark Traynowicz praises the past work between his professional staff and Azizinamini as key to “[elevating] Nebraska as one of the leaders in bridge design and bridge engineering in the country. With his help, through research, he put us on the map.”

Azizinamini shows no sign of slowing down in his drive to make impactful changes that benefit society — nor can the nation afford to let him.

More than 25 percent of the country’s 600,000-plus bridges are older than the 50 years for which they were optimally designed. Data from the 2016 National Bridge Inventory indicates that nearly 56,000 bridges are “structurally deficient” — deemed safe for travel but in need of renovation or replacement — and another 74,000-plus are “functionally obsolete” — inadequate for current traffic demands or unable to accommodate oversized or emergency vehicles.

Full speed ahead

Azizinamini arrived at FIU with the goal of establishing a federally funded center to make aging infrastructure safer. The university quickly provided $50,000 in seed money to jumpstart the effort. Fellow faculty, industry professionals and a growing number of graduate students signed on.

Then in 2013, the U.S. Department of Transportation put out a call to universities in a move to build increased collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

“We heard that the secretary of transportation wanted new ideas, new innovations, something that can solve the problems and the challenges we have with the transportation system,” Azizinamini says. He prepared a winning $4.5 million proposal (and earned the federal designation “University Transportation Center”) around “accelerated bridge construction.” ABC, as it’s known, uses cutting-edge techniques that minimize onsite construction to produce environmentally friendly bridges that are safer and longer lasting than those built under traditional methods.

Azizinamini understands well the negative impacts associated with traditional bridge construction: traffic delays, decreased mobility and work zone fatalities (resulting from more than 67,500 related crashes in 2013 alone), not to mention financial losses to local businesses and commuter frustration.

“If you didn’t have alternative technology, that would be something,” he says, “but we have the solutions.”

New ways of doing business

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Was Sabotage or Terrorism used in the Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge?
"Perfect for destroying the supply chain. It could well have been intentional."
5 hours ago
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post Was Sabotage or Terrorism used in the Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge?
5 hours ago
Doc Vega posted blog posts
7 hours ago
rlionhearted_3 posted photos
10 hours ago
rlionhearted_3 favorited Doc Vega's photo
10 hours ago
tjdavis posted a video

Alabama’s Biggest Secret - Operation Paperclip 🇺🇸

In the north of Alabama is the city of Huntsville. It's here where German scientists built NASA in secrecy after World War II. Operation Paperclip is still s...
13 hours ago
tjdavis posted a photo
15 hours ago
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"Cheeki kea always nice to her you chime in and you're damn right! "
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"Les Prone thanks for your support Dude! "
yesterday
Doc Vega posted a photo

The inconvenient truth

Trump spells it out!
yesterday
Sandy posted a photo
Wednesday
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post What Made the Founding Fathers of America so Brilliant?
Tuesday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Motives of Joe, to shit in the well by showing totally irrelevant proof?"
Tuesday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Less, Motives of Wyatt or Joe? What archeologist wouldn't want proof of Jesus as part of his…"
Tuesday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Less Prone, Considering Joe Rogan to be the gatekeeper of anything is just short of ridiculous the…"
Tuesday
Doc Vega posted a blog post
Tuesday
MAC posted a video

Don't Go To Hong Kong Now (Even on Connecting Flights)

Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code laowhy86 for an extra 3 months free at https://Surfshark.deals/laowhy86Article 23 in Hong Kong is real,...
Tuesday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

Terrorist Attack on Moscow - Ukraine Committing Suicide? | Larry C. Johnson

"...And I guess I'll just park this you tube here also for something to ponder from last year.…"
Tuesday
tjdavis posted photos
Tuesday
Less Prone posted a video

Climate: The Movie (The Cold Truth) NL

Deze nieuwe documentaire van de Britse filmmaker Martin Durkin toont aan dat klimaatalarm een verzonnen doembeeld is zonder enige wetenschappelijke basis. He...
Monday

© 2024   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted