Civil engineering professor builds relationship with professor in Korea

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Andrew Braham (left) and Taesoon Park (center) tour the Yeosu bridge construction site.

Before he came to the University of Arkansas last fall, Andrew Braham, assistant professor of civil engineering, spent two years in Nanjing, China as a post-doctoral research fellow at Southeast University. During this time, Braham developed a relationship with Taesoon Park, a professor of civil engineering from Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea.

With funding from the College of Engineering and the civil engineering department, Braham has been able to continue to learn from Park, and the two researchers have developed plans for collaboration in the future.

“The College of Engineering seeks to support junior faculty in their efforts to collaborate with and learn from prestigious researchers from around the world,” explained Shannon Davis, assistant dean for research in the College of Engineering.

Braham has found this opportunity very helpful. “Being able to tour established research programs and have conversations directly with the person who built the program is priceless when developing your own research program,” he explained.

The two researchers have discussed possible research collaborations, including a project to study the interaction of epoxy pavement with steel. Epoxy pavement is a special pavement mixture that can be applied in a very thin layer.

Using epoxy pavement on suspension bridges, such as the one being built in the Korean city of Yeosu, could drastically reduce the weight of the bridge deck, which is the part of the bridge over which the traffic flows. This would allow bridges to be longer without sacrificing strength and durability. However, the interaction between epoxy pavement and the steel that makes up the deck has not been thoroughly studied.

“Suspension bridges are becoming a more common way to reduce the transit time between two communities,” explained Braham.  “As the bridge becomes longer, however, new techniques must be discovered and implemented in order to make the bridge both cost effective and long lasting. This is an open area of research that will benefit future bridges, whether in Korea, the United States, or anywhere else in the world.”

Park plans to visit the University of Arkansas in 2012 to provide further advice to Braham, give research presentations and class lectures, and meet with students, faculty, and administration to discuss current and future collaboration opportunities. Park and Braham hope to develop programs to encourage  talented Korean graduate and undergraduate students to study at the University of Arkansas and provide opportunity for students from the University of Arkansas to study in Korea.