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  • Oct
    23

    SPREE Seminar- Corrosion of Steel Plate Girder Bridges and Rehabilitation Using UHPC- Shady Gomaa

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    Abstract: Steel plate girder bridges with concrete slab decks are prevalent in the U.S. highway system, with many nearing or exceeding 45 years of service. Currently, around 26% of these bridges are structurally deficient due to concrete slab delamination, excessive cracking, and steel girder corrosion, which leads to costly rehabilitations and reduced load ratings. This study focuses on predicting the effects of corrosion on steel girders and proposing a novel solution to extend bridge service life without full replacement or load rating reduction. Experimental investigations assessed corrosion morphology and its impact on mechanical performance under varying chloride concentrations, temperature conditions, and the presence of mill scale. Results showed that mill scale can initiate corrosion even in chloride-free environments and that corrosion morphology significantly affects ductility, rendering simplified design approaches based on average area loss inaccurate. To mitigate load reductions caused by corrosion, the study proposes replacing conventional reinforced concrete slabs with lighter Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) slabs, reducing dead load by over 20%. A case study on a 43-year-old bridge in Pennsylvania demonstrated that this method allows the bridge to maintain full live load capacity without rehabilitating the steel girders. Additionally, a new method for casting UHPC slabs with preferential fiber orientation was developed to enhance structural strength. Finally, the interaction between steel fiber volume fraction and reinforcing rebars was studied in UHPC beams with prismatic cross-sections.

    Bio: Shady Gomaa holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (2020) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, along with an M.S. in Structural Engineering and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Zagazig University in Egypt. He is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University. His research focuses on additive manufacturing of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), with broader interests in steel corrosion, sustainability, concrete mechanics, and deterioration mechanisms in materials and structures. Shady is an active member of ACI Committees, including Committee 564 on 3D Printing with Cementitious Materials and Committee 239 on Ultra-HighPerformance Concrete.

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    TIME Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Nov
    1

    EES Seminar- Environmental Engineers Are the Circular Carbon Engineers- Jason Ren

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, November 1, 2024 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Nov
    8

    EES Seminar- Microbial Community Engineering for Clean Water, Bioenergy Generation, and Resource Recovery- George Wells

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, November 8, 2024 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Nov
    13

    Osterberg Lecture- Angelo Amorosi

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Nov
    15

    EES Seminar- Unraveling the Role of Biological and Mineral Catalysts in Natures Towards Innovating Sustainable Solutions- Ludmilla Aristilde

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, November 15, 2024 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Dec
    4

    SPREE Seminar- Doug Jerolmack

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    11:00 AM 230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION 230, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Dec
    7

    Fall classes end

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Saturday, December 7, 2024

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    CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Dec
    14

    Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Recognition Ceremony

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    4:00 PM Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

    LOCATION Pick-Staiger Concert Hall    map it

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    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science