FIU presents 2014 National Accelerated Bridge Conference

Florida International University’s Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (FIU ABC-UTC) will address the building and delivering of economical and long-lasting bridges at the 2014 National Accelerated Bridge Construction Conference in Miami from December 3-5.

The event will take place at the Hyatt Regency, 400 S.E. 2nd Ave. in Miami, and is co-sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the departments of transportation from 26 different states, and several non-profit organizations representing bridge engineering industries.

FHWA Acting Administrator Gregory Nadeau will deliver the keynote speech. Since 2009, Nadeau has focused on spearheading the development and administration of the Every Day Counts (EDC), the FHWA’s signature initiative that addresses shortening project delivery time and accelerate the rapid deployment of innovative technology using a state based model. He serves on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Freight Policy Council, and prior to joining FHWA, Nadeau served since 2003 as the Maine Department of Transportation’s (MaineDOT) deputy commissioner for policy, planning and communications.

“With our partners from Iowa State University and University of Nevada, Reno, this conference provides a platform to help us advance bridge construction and design by researching and finding solutions for the nation’s aging bridge infrastructure, developing accelerated bridge construction (ABC) technology and nurturing the next generation of ABC workforce,” said Atorod Azizinamini, conference chair and director of FIU ABC-UTC. “By collaborating with national and state traffic administrations and departments, we know that our work will make a difference in the future of bridge construction.”

The conference, organized and presented by FIU ABC-UTC, will bring together more than 800 bridge engineering professionals from federal, state and local agencies, bridge owners, fabricators, contractors, and consultants among others. Attendees will benefit from close to 200 technical presentations that will be made during the conference to share ways of building, repairing, preserving and extending the life of the nation’s bridges.

For more information on the conference or to register, visit 2014abc.fiu.edu/. To learn more about FIU’s ABC-UTC, visit abc-utc.fiu.edu/.