ISU Faculty Representing the United States Group in the 2021 US - Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop

Mustafa Mashal, ISU's Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is selected as one of the experts from the United States to participate in the 2021 U.S.-Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop 26-28, 2021. 

The U.S.-Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop is hosted by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and National Institute for Land, Infrastructure and Management (NILIM) as part of the activities under the bi-lateral government cooperation frameworks between U.S. Department of Transportation and Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Every year, FHWA and NILIM have a meeting to exchange information on current research initiatives and policy issues regarding bridge and structures in highway systems. Since 2018, they have also coordinated the U.S.-Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop to have a forum for discussion on the technological policy and strategic issues for the improvement of bridge and structures performance as well as highway systems in both countries. Invited bridge engineers by FHWA and NILIM are to exchange their knowledge, experience, and views and help both countries develop strategies to improve the understanding and management of bridge and structures performance and seek a strategic research coordination of mutual interest.

This 2021 U.S.-Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop will be online, focusing on: 1) Vulnerability, Risk and Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure and 2) Innovations and lessons learned in seismic design and retrofit including Accelerated Bridge Construction in seismic regions. This workshop is also part of the FHWA-NILIM Bridge Engineering Collaboration, and conducted in cooperation with the UJNR Panel, Task Committee G, Transportation Systems.

Mashal is one of the seven experts from the US side Group for Topic 2: Innovations and lessons learned in seismic design and retrofit including Accelerated Bridge Construction in seismic regions. 

Idaho State recently completed a research project for Accelerated Bridge Construction in seismic regions that included some of the largest structural tests ever carried out in Idaho. Mashal will be presenting a summary of the research at ISU in the workshop as well.