Teachers of the School of Highway attended the 7th China-US Bridge Sustainable Development Seminar.

On August 1-2, 2019, the 7th China-US Bridge Sustainability Seminar was held at the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK). The opening ceremony of the meeting was chaired by Professor Ma China of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Tennessee, Dr. Chris Cox, the head of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Tennessee, and Dr. Richard Bennett, a professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, delivered welcome speeches. The theme of this meeting is "Concrete Bridge Multi-hazard Mitigation Methods and Bridge Assessment Status." Experts and scholars from more than ten colleges and universities in the United States and domestic Southeast University, Tianjin University, Southwest Jiaotong University, Wuhan University of Technology, Zhengzhou University, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Shandong University of Architecture, Qingdao University of Technology participated in the seminar. Prof. Zhou Yongjun, Associate Professor Wu Fangwen, Dr. Zhang Jingfeng, and Dr. Jing Yuan from the School of Highway, attended the conference.

Professor Zhou Yongjun made an invitation report of "Assessment of dynamic load allowance (DLA) for simply supported beam bridge based on dynamic test" at the conference. Dr. Zhang Jingfeng and Dr. Jing Yuan respectively made conference reports entitled "Experimental and numerical investigation on the ultimate bearing capacity of U-shaped girder with damaged web; Damage mechanism and damage evaluation of prestressed concrete beam under over-height vehicle collision."

The seminar focused on topics such as the seismic response of deep-water pier piers, UHPC performance research, damage assessment methods for long-span prestressed concrete beam bridges, 3D printing technology, research challenges for orthotropic bridge decks, and shear performance of corrugated steel webs. Participants had an in-depth discussion on the content of the report to broaden new ideas, promote research progress, and discuss the sustainable development of bridge engineering with an international perspective.

After the meeting, four teachers from the School of Highway visited the Structural Laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Tennessee, Ross Prestressed Concrete Component Factory, etc., and have a deep communicate with peer experts on issues such as concrete durability research, bridge reinforcement, and maintenance, test and testing technology, design and manufacture of prefabricated components, rapid bridge construction technology, new materials for bridge engineering. The holding of the conference is of great significance for tracking the development frontiers of the bridging discipline, promoting the sustainable development of the discipline, and strengthening the discipline links with domestic brother colleges.