Abstract:
The durability and resilience of civil infrastructure are key in safeguarding societal functions against an ever-widening spectrum of natural and anthropogenic threats. From climate-induced challenges to humanmade disruptions, the call to strengthen the resilience and multi-hazard resistance of civil structures is pressing.
In this seminar, methodologies and tools developed for designing, investigating, and evaluating infrastructure equipped to counter extreme events, focus on strategies to amplify their resilience to varying impacts and blast
intensities. The presentation will introduce a novel performance-based analysis and design framework for highway bridges, encompassing concurrent risks of vehicular collisions and air blasts. Central to this approach is the delineation of performance expectations and an evaluation of bridge adaptability for distinct multi-hazard scenarios, guiding optimal designs. The seminar will highlight innovative technological solutions to overcome challenges from both nature and human actions, ensuring bridges' resiliency and adaptability under unforeseen
extreme events. Additionally, the seminar will discuss recent advancements in designing and evaluating roadside safety features and structures, using computer simulation modeling and full-scale crash testing, to enhance the safety and resilience of transportation systems. Ultimately, the seminar will provide avenues for future investigative endeavors in developing and investigating resilient, multi-hazard-resistant, and sustainable civil infrastructure.
About the Candidate: Dr. Chen Fang earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) in 2020. His doctoral research focused on the performance assessment and enhancement of highway bridges under extreme hazards. Currently, Dr. Fang is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the UNL's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF), specializing in designing road safety structures and evaluating their performance against vehicle impacts to enhance traffic safety. His research interests include designing and analyzing structural components and systems exposed to various extreme hazards, such as blast events, vehicle collisions, earthquakes, and combined extreme loads. Dr. Fang has published over forty peer‐reviewed papers and technical
reports in the fields of impact engineering, roadside safety, and structural engineering.
More details at: https://unl.zoom.us/j/96565281996?pwd=VHdCSklvQUJMVVdZQnh1Y1QxODgrZz09