Robert J. Connor

Purdue University
Lyles School of Civil Engineering
550 Stadium Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051

Office: HAMP 4115 / BOWN 1024
Phone: (765) 496-8272
Email: rconnor@purdue.edu

Websites

Education
PhD, Lehigh University, 2002
MSCE, Lehigh University, 1996
BSCE, Drexel University, 1990

Research Interests
Fatigue and fracture of steel structures, field testing and remote monitoring of structures, fatigue and behavior of sign, signal, and high-mast lighting structures, load distribution and dynamic response of highway and railroad bridge structures, robust sensing and data acquisition systems, large scale structural testing in real time, bridge expansion joint system, and historic structures and materials.

Teaching Activity
CE 270 Introduction to Structural Mechanics

CE 470 Structural Design in Metals

CE 498 Senior Design

CE 591 Advanced Structural Steel Design

CE 671 Behavior of Metal Structures

CE 697 Bridge Engineering

Honors & Awards

1. Fourth World Congress on Joint Sealing and Bearing Systems for Concrete Structures, Sacramento, CA - Winner Best Paper Award (September 1996)
2. AISI/AASHTO Steel Bridge Task Force Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecture Award - First recipient of this award (August 2005)
3. Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Transportation Innovation Award for Constraint Induced Fracture Repairs on the Heinsburg Bridge, Heinsburg, Alberta, Canada (2008)
4. Keynote Speaker for 2008 Annual ASCE MS Section Meeting - Jackson, MS (October 22-24, 2008)
5. Chi Epsilon Teaching Award (May 2009)
6. Harold Munson Teaching Award (May 2009)
7. Wansik Teaching Award (May 2010)
8. American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Special Achievement Award for Research in Fatigue and Fracture (2012)
9. Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Transportation Innovation Award for Fatigue and Fracture Repairs on the Red Deer River Bridge, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada (2012)
10. Named as a Distinguish Engineering Alumni, Lehigh University (2012)
11. Roy E. and Myrna Wansik Civil Engineering Research Award (2015)
12. George S. Richardson Medal, Presented at the International Bridge Conference, National Harbor, MD (2017)
13. American Institute of Steel Construction Theodore R. Higgins Lectureship Award, (2018)
14. American Iron and Steel Institute and AASHTO T-14 Steel Bridge Committee Richard S. Fountain Award for Significant Contributes in Fatigue and Fracture (January 2020)
15. American Institute of Steel Construction Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
16. National academies of Engineering Transportation Research Board Dialog with Leaders Lectureship Award (2024)
17. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Walter P. Moore Jr. Award (2024)

Selected Publications

Recent Peer Reviewed Publications
• Sherman, R.J., Collins, W.C., Connor, R.J., "Large-scale Axially Loaded Fracture Experiments of High-Toughness Steel", Journal of Bridge Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, June, 2020, DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE) BE.1943-5592.0001609.
• Campbell, L.E., Whitehead, J., Washer, G.W., Connor, R.J., "A Benchmark for Evaluating Performance in Visual Inspection of Fatigue Cracking in Steel Bridges", Journal of Bridge Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 25, Issue 1, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001507
• Campbell, L.E., Connor, R.J., Whitehead, J., Washer, G.W., "Human Factors Affecting Visual Inspection of Fatigue Cracking in Steel Bridges", Journal of Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, Sep. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2020.1813783
• Washer, G.W., Hammed, M.M., Jensen, P., Connor R.J., "Quality of Element-Level Bridge Inspection Data", Journal of the Transportation Research Record, Washington, DC, vol. 2674, 2: pp. 252-261, February, 2020
• Sattar, D., Campbell, E., Maguire, M., Connor, R.J., "Benchmarking UAS-Assisted Inspection of Steel Bridges for Fatigue Cracks", Journal of the Transportation Research Record, Washington, DC, http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981, January, 2021.
• Lloyd, J.B., Bonachera, Martin F. J., Korkmaz, C., Ph.D.; Robert J. Connor "Internal Redundancy of Mechanically Fastened Built-up Steel Axially Loaded Multicomponent Members", Journal of Bridge Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 26, Issue 7, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001743, May 2021.
• Schroeder, C.J., Connor, R.J., Crowley B.M., Washer G.A., "Acoustic Properties of Steel Bridge Base Metals, Journal of Research in Nondestructive Evaluation", Nov, 2021, DOI: 10.1080/09349847.2021.1999544.
• Ocampo J. A., Collicott, S. H., Connor R.J., "Vortex Shedding Lock-in on Tapered Poles with Polygonal Cross-section", Open Journal of Fluid Dynamics, Vol. 12, No. 2, June 2022 DOI: 10.4236/ojfd.2022.122007.
• Bonachera Martin, F.J., Connor, R.J., "Load Combinations for the Evaluation of Redundancy in Steel Bridges", Journal of the Transportation Research Record, Washington, DC, Jan, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F03611981211062162
• Korkmaz, C., Connor, R.J., "Obliquely Loaded Welded Attachments Fatigue Categorization in Steel Bridges", Engineering Journal, American Institute of Steel Construction, Vol. 59, pp. 225-237, 3rd Quarter 2022.
• Korkmaz, C., Connor, R.J., Zhichao, L., Varma, A.H., Modeling of Shear Studs for Composite Bridges with Haunches, DOI: 10.14359/51734797 ACI Structural and Materials Journal, November 2022, pp 129-140.
• Tarasoa, A., Kanakamedala, D. Varma, A. H., Seo, J, Connor, R.J., "Assessment of Innovative Repair Methods for Corroded Steel Girder Bridges Using the House of Quality Matrix", Journal of the Transportation Research Record, Washington, DC, Jan, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/036119812311758
• Lloyd, J.B., Bonachera, Martin F. J., Korkmaz, C., Ph.D.; Robert J. Connor, "Internal Redundancy of Mechanically Fastened Built-Up Steel Axially Loaded Two-Channel Members", Engineering Journal, American Institute of Steel Construction Vol. 60, pp. 197-223, 4th Quarter 2023.
• Reichenbach M.C.; White J.B.; Park, S.; Helwig T.A.; Engelhardt, M.D.; Connor, R.J.; Grubb, M.A.; "A Parametric Investigation of Load-Induced Cross-Frame Force Effects in Composite Steel I-Girder Bridges"; Volume 28, Issue 12, https://doi.org/10.1061/JBENF2.BEENG-6402.
• Alharthi, A, Washer, G, Connor, R.J., "Framework for Integrating the Reliability of the Inspection Technique into Risk-Based Inspection Practice", Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, ISSN: 0361-1981, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231225217

Recent NCHRP Reports
• Dexter, R.J., Connor, R.J., and Kaczinski, M.R., "Fatigue Design of Modular Bridge Expansion Joints", NCHRP Report 402, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Washington, DC, January, 1998.
• Dexter, R.J., Connor, R.J., Mahmoud, H.N., "Inspection and Management of Bridges with Fracture-Critical Members", National Cooperative Highway Research Program, NCHRP Synthesis Report 354, National Academy Press, Washington D.C., to be published in 2005.
• Connor, R.J., Urban, M.R., Kaufmann, E.J., "Heat-Straightening Repair of Damaged Steel Bridge Girders - Fatigue and Fracture Performance", NCHRP Report 604, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Washington, DC, January, 2008.
• Connor, R.J., Liu, J., Higgins, C., "Bridge Deck Design Criteria and Testing Procedures - Final Report for NCHRP Project, 10-72", National Cooperative Highway Research Program National Academies, Washington, DC, July, 2012.
• Connor, R.J., Collicott, S.H., DeSchepper, A.M., Sherman, R.J., and Ocampo, J.A., "Development of Fatigue Loading and Design Methodology for High-Mast Light Poles", NCHRP Report 718, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Washington, DC, 2012.
• Washer, G., Connor* R. J., Ciolko, A., Kogler, R., Fish, P., Forsyth, D., "Proposed Guideline for Reliability-Based Bridge Inspection Practices -Final Report for NCHRP Project, 10-82 - NCHRP Report 782", National Cooperative Highway Research Program National Academies, Washington, DC, 2014.
• Lloyd, J., Connor R. J., "Maintenance Actions to Address Fatigue Cracking in Steel Bridge Structures", NCHRP Final Project Report 20-07 Task 387, National Cooperative Highway Research Program National Academies, Washington, DC, June, 2017.
• Connor, R.J., Bonachera Martin, F.J., A.H. Varma, Lai, Z., Korkmaz, C., "Fracture-critical System Analysis for Steel Bridges", Final Report for NCHRP Report 883, National Cooperative Highway Research Program National Academies, Washington, DC, August, 2018.
• Connor R. J., Schroeder, C.J., Washer G.A., Crowley, M., Fish P.E. "Acceptance Criteria of Complete Joint Penetration Steel Bridge Welds Evaluated Using Enhanced Ultrasonic Methods" - Final Project Report for NCHRP Report 908, National Cooperative Highway Research Program National Academies, Washington, DC, July, 2018.