Okumus and students participate in international conferences

By Peter Murphy

Pinar Okumus, also an MCEER researcher and member of the Institute of Bridge Engineering (IBE) board of directors, was an invited speaker at the National Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) Conference in Miami, Florida last December. She spoke during a workshop on accelerated bridge construction in seismic regions. This workshop offered an opportunity for bridge engineers from national and international state departments of transportation, consultants, and academics to exchange the latest research and implementation associated with this topic. Okumus gave an overview of low seismic damage precast concrete bridge systems, and presented her work with PhD student Cancan Yang on using advanced materials and self-centering systems to control seismic damage in bridge columns.

Okumus also co-organized two sessions with PhD student Mauricio Diaz Arancibia at the 2017 American Concrete Institute (ACI) Concrete Convention and Exposition in Anaheim, California. Each session was associated with international experiences of bridge evaluation through load testing. Specifically, Okumus and Diaz Arancibia discussed diagnostic load testing to understand problems related to high skew in prestressed concrete bridges. They presented their work on load testing and long-term monitoring of bridges with very high skew to demonstrate the Northern U.S. experience.

“Pinar has been a superb team member with IBE, MCEER and the Department since she arrived in 2013,” said Joseph Atkinson, professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. “Our faculty members and students continue to produce innovative research, and it is a significant advantage for us to be able to share findings and collaborate internationally.”  

About ABC and ACI

ABC-UTC was organized in November 2010 by a group of renowned U.S. bridge engineering professionals gathered at the Florida International University (FIU) in 2010. This group aims to reduce the societal costs of bridge construction by focusing special attention on preservation, service life, construction costs, education, and other aspects associated with accelerated bridge construction.

Learn more about ABC-UTC here

ACI was founded in 1904, and is a leading authority for the development, dissemination and adoption of standards, resources, training and certification programs and expertise for individuals and organizations working in the concrete design, construction and materials industries.

Learn more about ACI here