By: Tim Gregorski
Nearly 1,200 bridge professionals from around the world will converge on the Pittsburgh Hilton and Towers, Pittsburgh, Pa., for the 15th Annual International Bridge Conference and Exhibition (IBC), June 15 -17, 1998. Hosted by the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania, the theme of this year’s IBC is Building for the New Millennium.
Held annually in the “City of Bridges,” IBC focuses on bridge design, construction and maintenance. A vast array of topics, sectors and discussions will take place at IBC, exploring the latest in technological and design implementations. Attendees will have the opportunity to view bridge-building and maintenance technology and services on display in the conference exhibit area. This year, conference exhibitors, including RoadS & Bridges, will occupy over 100 booths.
Keynote session
At the outset of IBC is the Keynote Session, held 9 a.m. Monday morning, chaired by Carl Angelhoff, Bayer Corp., Pittsburgh. Topics discussed during the session will include, “ISTEA II/NEXTEA/ BESTEA: A Funding Overview,” by Anthony Kane, executive director, Federal Highway Administration; “Bridges for the New Millennium,” by Dennis Mertz, professor, University of Delaware; “Featured State Overview,” by Kevin J. Sullivan, commissioner, Massachusetts Highway Department; and “The Price of Aesthetics,” speaker to be announced.
Featured state
On Monday, IBC features a state profile reviewing the bridge work within that particular state. This year, Massachusetts has been selected as the featured state. Session chairman Alexander K. Bardow, P.E., bridge engineer, Massachusetts Highway Department, Boston, will introduce presentations on a number of topics.
Following the featured state session, Monday’s proprietary sessions will cover topics including: waterproofing of highway bridges, short span steel structures and advanced scaffolding cantilever methods.
Continuing on Tuesday, sessions will deal with long-span bridges, specification and design and seismic design.
Also available on Tuesday is the Pittsburgh Bridge Tour, hosted by the Port Authority of Allegheny County and John M. Nedley, P.E., of Parsons Bricknerhoff and president-elect of Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design. The tour makes several stops at award-winning structures and concludes atop scenic Mount Washington, overlooking the “City of Bridges.”
Wednesday activities include sessions on design, rehabilitating and strengthening and moveable bridges.
In addition to the regularly scheduled sessions, there are special interest sessions. One session, “Coating for the New Millennium,” will focus on coatings for effective corrosion protection of transportation structures.
Another session, “Rehabilitating and Strengthening of Bridges Using High Strength Fiber Composites,” will inform engineers on high-strength fiber composites.
According to IBC, special seminars will also run throughout the conference. Topics include: “Geotechnical Design Practice,” “Bridge Design Manual for PS Concrete Construction” and “Hazardous Bridge Coatings: Design and Management of Maintenance and Removal Operations.”
Awards luncheon
Continuing with tradition, the presentation of the IBC Bridge Awards, co-sponsored by the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania and Roads & Bridges, will be held Monday, June 15. For the 12th consecutive year, the Richardson and Roebling Medals are presented to those in the bridge industry most deserving of recognition and praise. The George S. Richardson Medal is awarded for a single, recent, outstanding, achievement, and the John A. Roebling Medal is awarded for lifetime achievement in bridge engineering. Attendees of the 1997 Awards Luncheon saw the George P. Coleman Bridge and replacement project at Yorktown, Va., win the George S. Richardson Medal with medals being presented to owner, the Virginia DOT, designer, Parsons Brinckerhoff and contractor, Tidewater Construction Corp. The John A. Roebling Medal was presented to Dr. Christian Menn for his bridge engineering and design work worldwide.
