2023 Thomas C. Kavanagh Memorial Structural Engineering Lecture
Speaker Bio
Dr. Thomas Murphy is a senior vice president and the chief technical officer of Modjeski and Masters, as well as chairman of the board. He serves as the director of the National Bridge Group, which focuses on long span and complex bridge projects. He holds a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Michigan and is a registered professional and structural engineer in 30 states and the province of Ontario. He has been responsible for the design of several long-span bridges and is an active researcher having led several national research projects that resulted in new design guidance, most recently moving the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications from uniform hazard to risk-targeted seismic design ground motions. He has led several bridge collapse investigations and serves as a peer reviewer on complex projects. He is a member of the Caltrans Seismic Advisory Board, as well as the National Steel Bridge Alliance Technical Committee. Modjeski and Masters was founded in 1893 and focuses on all aspects of bridge engineering from research, design, construction, inspection, and rehabilitation of all bridge types.
Lecture Title
Becoming a Structural Behaviorist
Lecture Abstract
An understanding of structural and material behavior is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of what a structural engineer does. This connection between the engineer and the structure allows for the development of efficient, economical designs and the appropriate response to unexpected events or changes to a structural system. When this connection is absent, the risk of unwanted and even disastrous outcomes increases. The importance of developing and maintaining a focus on structural behavior will be highlighted through the use of examples from the field of bridge engineering when things went well, and sometimes when they did not. The paradoxical role that the tools engineers use to analyze and design play in both obscuring and enlightening structural understanding will be explored.
Additional Information:
Share this event:
Media Contact: Gordon Warn
