At 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, the I-35W Bridge failed and collapsed into the Mississippi River. The accident happened at the height of rush hour traffic with a reported 50 to 70 vehicles on the structure. At the time of the collapse, four of the eight traffic lanes were also closed for resurfacing, and construction equipment and materials for this work were located within the work zone.
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. performed an investigation of the collapse at the request of the Minnesota Department of Transportation in cooperation with the overall investigation undertaken by the National Transportation Safety Administration (NTSB). Howard Hill of WJE will discuss the findings of the collapse investigation contained in the 2008 NTSB Accident report. Dr. Hill will provide a general overview of the bridge construction, describe the circumstances surrounding the bridge collapse, and discuss the investigation and analytical work that determined the mechanism of failure.
Howard Hill holds a Ph.D. in structural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer in Illinois. He is the Director of Technical Operations and a Principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Since joining the company, he has participated in hundreds of structural investigations and evaluations, including the investigation of structural failures, assessment of damaged structures, and the design of repairs and retrofits for existing structural systems.
Strong attendance is expected at this event – please make your reservations early!
Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Cocktails: 5:15 pm
Dinner: 6:00 pm
Program: 7:00 pm
Location: Cliff Dwellers Club, 200 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago
Cost: $45 for SEAOI Members ($65 for non-members)
Advance reservations required: please contact Donna Childs at the SEAOI Office (312.726.4165 x200 or office@seaoi.org) by December 30.
