A little flexibility may go a long way in bridge design, says a doctoral student of engineering whose study into the question won acclaim at the 4th International Engineering Mechanics and Materials Specialty Conference in Regina, May 27 to 30.

Muhammad Razzaq’s presentation, “Effectiveness of Cross-Frame Layout in Skew Composite Concrete Deck-Over Steel I-Girder Bridges,” was one of three student projects selected for publication in the summer edition of Canadian Civil Engineer.

Razzaq examined three layouts of girders used in skewed-aligned bridges, which connect two points that deviate from a straight line. He found that current design specifications are too conservative.

“Appropriate selection of cross-frame design not only makes the bridge design more reliable and cost effective but it would also enhance the service life of the structure by providing better load distributions” he says.

"Despite the honour I have earned, I strongly believe that the hard work is its own best reward", he further added.

Razzaq’s research is supervised by civil and environmental engineering professor Faouzi Ghrib and Khaled Sennah, professor of civil engineering at Ryerson University.