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Sixth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways

Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, SC, July 27-30, 2008

Phil Yen

Conference Director Dr. Phil Yen, Federal highway Administration has announced that the theme of this conference will be “Seismic Technologies for Extreme Loads”. This will open up discussion to include other hazards with the hopes of creating a synergistic approach to protective systems. Dr. Yen emphasizes that the overriding goal of the conference is to enhance the technical expertise of engineering professionals so that they can have the latest tools to mitigate the risk of damage to the highway infrastructure through design, retrofit, and other measures.

The conference is organized by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Transportation Research Board (TRB), MCEER, University at Buffalo, and the hosting agency South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). This is the sixth in a series of biennial conferences, the last of which was held in the San Francisco area in September 2006 (5NSC Meeting Summary).

The technical program will feature over 75 technical presentations and keynote speakers from around the world. There will be two “best paper” awards presented. The conference will include a student design competition, a poster session, an awards luncheon, and an optional boat tour of Charleston harbor and the recently completed Arthur Ravenel Jr. (Cooper River) Bridge. There will so be a pre-conference workshop on Sunday. Also planned is a technical exhibition where engineers and managers can talk personally with company representatives who can explain the latest technology, products and services in the field.

Key Dates

15 March 2008            Papers are due (for oral & poster presentations)
15 March 2008            Student competition papers due
30 April, 2008             Last day for Early Registration (reduced fee)
30 June 2008              Last day for hotel room reservation in 6NSC room block
30 June 2008              Last day for Regular Registration
27 July 2008               Seismic Workshop (optional)
28-30 July                  Conference
30 July 2008               Technical Boat Tour (optional)

More dates (pdf)

For more information, visit the SCDOT 6NSC Page