Feb 28 2008
Levees and bridges are among the topics to be discussed in the symposium “Materials for Infrastructure: Building Bridges in the Global Community” to be held at the TMS 2008 Annual Meeting & Exhibition, March 9-13, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. These topics, part of the “Materials and Society” theme, will cover needs from New Orleans to Nanjing.
“The Geology of the Katrina Disaster in New Orleans” is the topic of the keynote address on Tuesday, March 11, by Dr. Stephen Nelson, Associate Professor, Tulane University, New Orleans. Dr. Nelson says “a combination of historical and geological factors combined with inadequate design of levees and floodwalls” is what led to the catastrophic results of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005.
Dr. Nelson’s address will lay the foundation for the presentations to examine advances being made nationally and internationally in infrastructure materials.
“Opportunities for Aluminum Alloys in the Restoration of Aging Bridge Decks” will be presented by Dr. Subodh Das, president and CEO of Secat Inc., Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Das sees aluminum alloys as a solution for the thousands of steel and concrete highway bridges deteriorating in North America. “Aluminum bridge decks have a high strength-to-weight ratio and can be prefabricated offsite and installed quickly with minimum disruption to traffic. In addition, because of their excellent corrosion resistance, aluminum decks do not have to be painted and require very little maintenance.”
From North America to Asia, bridge improvements are a serious need, but progress is being made. “The Development of High Performance Bridge Steel in China” will be discussed by Chengjia Shang from the School of Engineering at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. In the last 10 years, China has constructed 26 bridges across its longest river and is planning 20 more in the next 10 years. Mr. Shang says these super bridge projects demand high performance steel. “The new developed bridge steels can achieve high strength, high toughness, good welding ability and weathering resistance.”
There are a total of 11 presentations during the sessions on March 11 and 12 for “Materials for Infrastructure: Building Bridges in the Global Community,” and approximately 2,100 presentations on more than 50 topics during the week of the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition. More information is available online at www.tms.org/annualmeeting.html; to schedule an interview or obtain a press pass, contact Nancy Commella, communications manager, at (724) 776-9000, ext. 218, or [email protected].