Presentation by Tom Saad of FHWA on Careers in Transportation - Chicago HS for Agricultural Sciences Shadow Day 02-08-12.

1. Careers In Transportation……
Structural (Bridge) Engineering
Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
Job Shadow Program
February 8, 2012

2. Topics
 Introduce Myself
 Introduction to Engineering
 Structural/Bridge Engineering
 Explain what I do as a Structural Engineer
 Knowledge, skills and abilities for success
 Guidance for those interested in Engineering or in
Transportation Industry

3. Who am I?
 Thomas Saad, P.E.
 USDOT/ Federal Highway Administration
 Senior Structural Engineer
 Bridge Design and Analysis
 Bridge Construction
 Bridge Inspection
 Bridge Fabrication
 Foundation/Geotechnical and Hydraulic
Engineering

4. Some Engineering Professions
 Civil Engineering
 Agricultural Engineering
 Mechanical Engineering
 Industrial Engineering
 Chemical Engineering
 Electrical Engineering
 Aerospace Engineering
 Computer Engineering

5. Civil Engineering
 Civil engineering is a professional
engineering discipline that deals with the
design, construction, and maintenance of the
physical and naturally built environment,
including works like roads, bridges, canals,
dams, and buildings.

6. Civil Engineering Sub-Disciplines
 Environmental Engineering
 Geotechnical Engineering
 Structural Engineering
 Transportation Engineering
 Municipal or Urban Engineering
 Water Resources Engineering
 Material Engineering
 Construction Engineering
 Surveying

7. Skills Civil Engineers require
 Math and Sciences
 Written and Verbal Communications
 Leadership and Management
 Computers
 Even Artistic skills

8. Bridge Design Engineer
 Design and construct safe bridges for the
traveling public
 Ensure bridges provide service for 75 or
more years for increasing loads and traffic
 Limit the need for maintenance so traffic
flows freely
 Make bridges aesthetically pleasing

9. What Do I Do?
 Work on National committees to develop design
codes and criteria
 Assist Engineers in using the latest technology
to improve bridges - Teacher
 Work at the state level to aid in developing
programs to improve bridge safety and durability
 Serve as expert to help bridge community
understand best practices

10. Bridge Safety?
OV-10

11. National Bridge Inventory (NBI)
What do you know
about the collapse
of the U.S. 35 Silver
River Bridge?
What bridge safety
measures were
introduced because
of it?
1-11

13. Earthquake

14. Damage due to Earthquake

15. Column Shear

16. Strengthening a Column

17. Infill shear wall

18. Seismic isolation

19. Embankment Fills – Lateral Spread
1964 M 7.5 Niigata Earthquake, Japan
Showa Bridge – Collapse due to embankment
lateral spread. River bed loose sand (approx. 30 ft
depth) liquefied.
2 ft diameter steel pipe pile extracted showed 3 ft
permanent displacement and maximum curvature
at base of liquefied layer

20. Site Remediation Using Ground Improvement
 Vibro-Replacement Technique – most widely used
densification method

21. Scour Failure

22. Bridge Scour

23. Structural Design Engineer
 Design and construct safe bridges for the
traveling public
 Ensure bridges provide service for 75 or
more years for increasing loads and traffic
 Limit the need for maintenance so traffic
flows freely
 Make bridges aesthetically pleasing

24. Evaluate Bridge Condition
 c  0.85
10-24

25. Need technology to inspect
bridges
10-25

26. Load Rating/ Load Evaluation of
Bridges
OV-26

27. Examples of Trucks that use
our Highways
4-27

28. Oversized Superloads
9-28

29. Oversized Superloads
9-29

32. Structural Design Engineer
 Design and construct safe bridges for the
traveling public
 Ensure bridges provide service for 75 or
more years for increasing loads and traffic
 Limit the need for maintenance so traffic
flows freely
 Make bridges aesthetically pleasing

37. Exciting and Rewarding Career
 Opportunity to work with experts from across the
nation (and internationally)
 Teach adults how to improve the bridge network
 Help customers solve problems for the traveling
public
 Good pay and job benefits
 Continually face new challenges – continue to
have opportunities to learn

38. Questions???
Thomas Saad, PE
Sr. Structural Engineer
FHWA-Resource Center
4749 Lincoln Mall Drive
Matteson, IL 60443
(708) 283-3521
thomas.saad@dot.gov
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/index.cfm
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/