UTA In The News — Friday, December 20, 2019
Better bridges
UTA’s Suyun Ham, assistant professor of civil engineering, and Simon Chao, professor of civil engineering, have received $534,000 from the Texas Department of Transportation to use a testing system invented by a UTA researcher to inspect bridges for repairs without disrupting Texas commuters, U.S. Fed News reported.
Sewer inspection
UTA and the city of Waxahachie are collaborating on robotic inspections of several miles of the city’s sewer pipelines, Technology.org reported. Ali Abolmaali, professor and chair of UTA’s Civil Engineering Department, will lead the pilot project, which will provide estimates on the remaining service life of the pipelines.
Housing value
A UTA study of transit-oriented developments across the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area identifies the most important factors that can increase housing values near those sites, U.S. Fed News reported. Ard Anjomani, professor in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs, and Saad AlQuhtani, a recent alumnus, were the authors of “Do rail transit stations affect housing value changes? The Dallas Fort-Worth metropolitan area case and implications” in the Journal of Transport Geography.
Lifelong learning
Liberty County Commissioner for Precinct 4 Leon Wilson sends his employees to free classes sponsored by UTA to take advantage of instruction in safety, construction, and barricade and flagging courses, The Houston Chronicle reported. Since learning of the opportunity three years ago, Wilson has sent his employees to UTA instructors for safety certification multiple times.