Rizkalla, Zia to receive ACI Chester Paul Siess Award for Excellence in Structural Research

North Carolina State University researchers Dr. Sami Rizkalla, Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction, and Dr. Paul Zia, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, have been selected by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) to receive the ACI Chester Paul Siess Award for Excellence in Structural Research.

The award honors a paper that describes a notable achievement in experimental or analytical research that advances the theory or practice of structural engineering and, most importantly, recommends how the research can be applied to design.

Rizkalla and Zia won for a paper titled “Development Length of Unconfined Conventional and High-Strength Steel Reinforcing Bars,” which appeared in the September-October 2012 issue of ACI Structural Journal.  Rizkalla and Zia are co-authors of the paper, along with Dr. Amr Hosny and Dr. Hatem M. Seliem, two former PhD students who worked with Rizkalla and Zia at the Constructed Facilities Laboratory (CFL) at NC State.

Rizkalla’s responsibilities at NC State include directing the CFL and the National Science Foundation Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure. He received a B.Sc. in civil engineering from Alexandria University in Egypt and both his MS and PhD in civil engineering from NC State.

Rizkalla’s general research interest is in the design, construction and behavior of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete structures and bridges. Over the last 30 years, his research interest has focused on the use of high performance concrete and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials for the construction, repair and strengthening of structures and bridges. His current research interests include diagnostic and prognostic of structure and bridges using non-destructive monitoring systems.

He is a fellow of six technical societies including ACI ,PCI.ASCE IIFC,CSCE,EIT .His many awards include the T.Y. Lin Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2013, the Charles C. Zollman Award from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute in 2012, Distinguished Educator award from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute  in 2008 ,the Joe W. Kelly Award from the American Concrete Institute in 2008, the Martin P. Korn Award from the American Concrete Institute in 2007,the Delmar L. Bloem Award from the American Concrete Institute in 2004, the A.B. Sanderson Award from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering in 2000 and the National Transportation Award of Achievement in 1999.

For more than 50 years, Zia has been engaged in teaching, research and consulting in many areas of concrete materials, reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, and construction. He has advised more than 60 master’s and doctoral students. He has conducted sponsored research on many aspects of prestressed and reinforced concrete, including torsion and shear, bond and development length, loss of prestress, applications of high performance and high strength concrete, self-consolidating concrete, jointless bridge deck, and cracking in large prestressed concrete girders.

Zia has received numerous honors and awards including election to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering in 1983; University of Florida Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983; ASEE Lamme Medal in 1986; and, in 1993, the NC State Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member by the NC State Board of Trustees. In 1999, the National Park Service presented him the Citizen’s Award for Exceptional Service in recognition of his role as an adviser and consultant for the relocation of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. In 2004, he was honored by the Prestressed Concrete Institute with the Distinguished Educator of the Year Award.

Zia earned a BS in civil engineering from National Chiao Tung University in Shanghai, now Shanghai Jiao Tong University; an MS in structural engineering from the University of Washington; and a PhD in structural engineering from the University of Florida.

The Paul Zia Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 2002 to honor his accomplishments and contributions to the civil engineering profession, particularly in the concrete and structural engineering fields.