View Important Policies and System Requirements for this course

Interested in registering 5 or more engineers for a course? Contact us for information and rates.

INSTRUCTORS: 
Steven Nolan, P.E.
Michael Odelola
Kumar Achyut

Purpose and Background

These presentations were recorded at the ASCE Structures Congress 2025.

UHPC Prestressed H-Pile Development for Florida Bridges in Coastal Environments (18 minutes)

This presentation explores the development and implementation of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) prestressed H-piles for Florida’s coastal bridges. The speaker explains UHPC’s unique material properties, such as post-cracking tensile capacity and corrosion resistance, that make it especially suitable for aggressive marine environments. The presentation highlights the evolution from lab testing to field applications, including prototype testing, optimization of pile shapes, and comparisons with conventional high-performance concrete piles. Discussions include design challenges, cost-benefit considerations, and ongoing research supported by FDOT. Emphasis is placed on UHPC’s potential for enhancing structural resilience against extreme events such as hurricanes and corrosion.

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Pile Splicing Techniques (12 minutes)

This presentation addresses innovative splicing techniques for UHPC piles, focusing on both pre-planned and unplanned scenarios. The speaker reviews traditional concrete pile splice systems and evaluates their applicability to UHPC through analysis and experimental testing. Two primary methods are highlighted: epoxy bonded dowel splices and near-surface mounted fiber-reinforced polymer (NSM FRP) systems. The presentation details small- and large-scale experimental procedures to evaluate splice performance, including pull-out tests and material compatibility. Challenges such as constructability, inspection feasibility, and technical requirements for field implementation are discussed, with ongoing collaboration across institutions to optimize the design.

Civil Infrastructure Life Cycle Monitoring (29 minutes)

This presentation introduces a comprehensive approach to life cycle monitoring for civil infrastructure using embedded sensor technology. The system integrates strain gauges, corrosion sensors, and accelerometers within structural elements to collect real-time performance data from fabrication through long-term service. A case study of a Florida bridge demonstrates the system’s application in dynamic load testing, construction quality control, and post-installation monitoring. The speaker emphasizes the value of continuous data collection for informed decision-making, structural integrity assessment, predictive maintenance, and asset management. The ultimate goal is to shift from reactive to data-driven, proactive infrastructure management.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the key mechanical properties of UHPC that make it advantageous for use in coastal bridge environments.
• Explain the development and testing process of UHPC prestressed H-piles for Florida’s bridge infrastructure.
• Discuss the challenges and objectives in developing splicing techniques suitable for UHPC piles.
• List the types of data collected through embedded systems and their relevance to asset management and structural integrity.
• Explain the benefits of real-time monitoring in improving design validation, maintenance planning, and load rating accuracy.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-test assessment (true-false, multiple choice, and/or fill in the blank questions).

Who Should Attend?

• Construction Engineers
• Structural Engineers
• Project Managers
• General Contractors
• Early Career Professionals
• Builders

How to Earn Your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]