Oakland, California has been selected for the site of Seventh National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways (7NSC). It will be held May 20-22, 2013 at the Oakland Marriott City Center. The conference theme is “Bridge Resilience for Earthquakes and Other Natural Hazards,” indicating a broad scope. There will be presentations and discussions of multiple hazards that may affect the performance of highway infrastructure. California was chosen by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to host this conference based on the state’s past experience with earthquakes and the Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) leadership in the field.
The Technical Committee is soliciting abstracts of papers that can help others understand and mitigate damage to the Nation’s highway infrastructure from earthquakes and other natural hazards. Papers will be judged and selected on merit for presentation during plenary sessions, technical sessions grouped according to topic, and an interactive poster exhibit. It is anticipated that 65 papers will be selected for oral presentation during the conference and approximately 25 papers will be selected for the Poster Session.
The abstract (250 words maximum) deadline has been extended to August 31, 2012!
Co-organizers of the conference are USDOT Federal Highway Administration, Transportation Research Board, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures (AASHTO), and earthquake research centers PEER-UC Berkeley, and MCEER-University at Buffalo.
The 2013 conference builds upon previous successful meetings that have been held in San Diego, Sacramento, Portland, Memphis, San Mateo, and Charleston, SC. Based on past trends, attendance is expected to exceed 400 and will include representatives from private engineering practice, government, construction, academia, and industry. This conference is a premier gathering of transportation officials responsible for addressing and mitigating the impact of all hazards on our highway infrastructure.
On Sunday, May 19, 2013, an optional pre-conference technical workshop will be held. The main program will be held over the next 2½ days with over 75 oral and poster presentations, discussion panels, and a student design competition. Several internationally renowned keynote speakers are being invited to share information about some of the major earthquakes that have occurred in other parts of the world in recent years. In addition, a special session is planned that will highlight the design and construction of the soon to be complete San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge, with emphasis on the unique self-anchored suspension span. An optional technical tour will also be provided.
In the days prior to the 7NSC, FHWA is planning to hold the First International Bridge Seismic Workshop, also in Oakland. Dr. W. Phillip Yen, FHWA Principal Bridge Engineer – Structural Dynamics is Chairman of the 7NSC and the International Workshop.