Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives, addresses attendees, among them members of the Congressional Black Caucus. At right, Professor Atorod Azizinamini speaks to attendees about the university’s research and education efforts around the growing problem of outdated and potentially unsafe transportation infrastructure.
The high-powered gathering in FIU’s D.C. center highlighted the university’s contributions to fixing the nation’s infrastructure woes
FIU took hold of the steering wheel when it recently convened a gathering of transportation leaders and members of Congress around an issue that affects every American: the country’s faltering roadways.
For years, FIU has worked to address deficits in the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Chief among that work is research coming out of its University Transportation Center (UTC). The federally funded center brings together civil engineers with expertise in the construction of environmentally friendly, long-lasting bridges.
A 2022 report found that 36 percent of U.S. bridges — nearly 224,000 spans — need repair work and that 78,800 bridges should be replaced. More than 43,500 of those are classified as “structurally deficient.”
As federal and state officials grapple with the enormity of the problem, bridge engineering expert Atorod Azizinamini is working with colleagues across the country to find innovative solutions.
A leader in the field, Azizinamini heads FIU’s UTC, one of 20 such national centers, each focused on a unique area. In addition to conducting research, FIU’s UTC provides ongoing education to thousands of transportation professionals in both the public and private sectors – federal highway administrators, state engineers, contractors, representatives of fabricating companies – who participate in monthly webinars and an annual conference during which new technology and the latest innovations are shared.
Read more at FIU News.