Best Practices to Evaluate, Rehabilitate, and Replace Local Road Bridges

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Dr. Mostafa Tazarv of South Dakota State University. Dr. Tazarv is an assistant professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at South Dakota State University (SDSU). Prior to joining SDSU in 2015, Dr. Tazarv was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of Nevada, Reno. His research interests include the behavior of concrete structures, advanced materials for civil infrastructure, accelerated bridge construction, and large-scale testing.  His research has led to the development of a new generation of bridges that can be built faster, last longer, perform better in severe events, and cost less in long-term. The first shape memory alloy (SMA) bridge in the world was constructed in Seattle, in which design and construction guidelines were based on his study on advanced materials. The unique aspect of this bridge is its continuous functionality after severe events with minimal damage and repair needs. Furthermore, his large- and full-scale testing of bridges and buildings resulted in new design alternatives for the State of South Dakota and its local governments to save millions of dollars in bridge replacement, maintenance, and performance. He also invented a new connection for concrete structures to expedite construction and to quickly repair concrete buildings after a severe event such as earthquake or hurricane.