U of M I-35W Bridge Study Results Parallel NTSB Report
Department Head Roberto Ballarini and
professors Arturo Schultz and Taichiro
Okazaki are advisors on the project.
Credit: Richard AndersonNovember 20, 2008
Preliminary results of the University of Minnesota's independent academic study of the I-35W bridge collapse suggest that lack of robustness in the bridge's original design, additional load from bridge improvements over the years, weight from construction materials and stresses induced by temperature changes contributed to the collapse of the I-35W bridge on August 1, 2007.
Researchers involved in the study include civil engineering faculty Roberto Ballarini, Taichiro Okazaki, Ted Galambos and Arturo Schultz.
The preliminary results of the yearlong study by civil engineering researchers at the University of Minnesota were released last night to a crowd of about 400 people attending the University's Institute of Technology Public Lecture "Investing in Infrastructure." The university's findings are consistent with the National Transportation Safety Board's final report summary and the report prepared by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (consultants retained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation).
+ Learn More About the Preliminary Study Results
+ Watch Lecture Video
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Civil Engineer Summer 2008 Magazine
The Summer 2008 issue of Civil Engineer magazine is out! Catch up on the latest news and research from the Department of Civil Engineering.
+ Download PDF File (1.9 mb)
December 4, 2008
Prof. Panos Michalopoulos was selected by the IEEE ITS Society for the 2007 IEEE ITS Outstanding Application Award. Michalopoulos received the award for developing the Autoscope, "the most widely used video detection sensor in ITS projects worldwide, used in collecting detailed traffic measurements and simultaneous video recording for testing and validating dynamic traffic flow models, control strategies, and other technologies." He was given the award at the 2008 IEEE ITS Conference held in Beijing, China from Oct. 12-15.
October 27, 2008
Assistant Professor Kimberly Hill and Professor Fernando Porté-Agel were awarded $295k by the National Science Foundation for a new particle transport study. Their project focuses on fluid-driven particle transport, specifically bedload transport in river channels. The central goals of this research are to combine computational, experimental and theoretical efforts to better understand bedload transport as well as develop a model that can be applied to local and long-range bedload transport.
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Warren Lecture Series
The Warren Lecture Series has concluded for Fall Semester. Check back soon for Spring Semester's lecture schedule.
+ Warren Series Schedule
The River Runs Through Us
Learn about the innovative research taking place at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory.
+ Watch Video
Professor David Levinson discusses changes in driving habits following the I-35W Bridge collapse.
+ Watch Interview
(scroll to bottom of page)
 Podcasts: Access Minnesota presents "The Effect of Dams on River Ecology," with Prof. Fotis Sotiropoulos.
+ Listen to Podcast (13 mb)
Across the United States, people moving into cities are settling on twice the amount of land as established residents according University of Minnesota civil engineering assistant professor Julian Marshall.
+ Listen to Podcast (1.4 mb)
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