Eric Williamson
Eric
Williamson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at
the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Williamson has over 13 years experience
investigating the response of structures to extreme loading conditions. For the
past eight years, he has been active in research focused on the response of
structures to blast loads. Current projects include the design of bridges for
security, the design of bridges subjected to barge collisions, and prevention of
progressive structural collapse.
Professionally, Dr. Williamson serves on several technical committees at the national level for the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the Transportation Research Board (TRB). These committees focus on infrastructure protection and the response of structures to extreme loads including earthquakes and blast.
Dr. Williamson earned his B.S. degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining the faculty at U.T., Dr. Williamson worked as a Research Engineer at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, TX.
Infrastructure Security
In the aftermath of the September 11th tragedies, the vulnerability of the nation’s transportation infrastructure to terrorist attack has gained national attention. In light of this vulnerability, various governmental agencies are looking into ways to improve how we design structures so that they are better able to withstand extreme loadings. Little attention, however, has been given to bridges which are critical to our economy and transportation network. This presentation summarizes the results of ongoing research to investigate economical, unobtrusive and effective methods to mitigate the risk of terrorist attacks against critical bridges. It outlines a recommended plan to mitigate these risks through proven risk management techniques, lists possible cost-effective security measures, and provides structural design and retrofit guidelines. It also discusses ongoing research oriented towards the development of performance-based design guidelines. In using proper risk management techniques, transportation managers and bridge engineers can effectively mitigate the risk of terrorist attacks against critical bridges to an acceptable level.