Civil engineer Ardavan Yazdanbakhsh’s research at The City College of New York (CCNY), in New York City, focuses on the development of sustainable concrete through fiber-reinforced concrete, strengthening concrete members with fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs), and by using waste materials in concrete.
His expertise and effort to share his knowledge with middle school and college students in Harlem has earned him the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Walter P. Moore, Jr. Faculty Achievement Award. Yazdanbakhsh will receive the honor at ACI’s spring convention, Nordique Concrete, taking place March 24-28, 2019 at the Québec City Convention Centre and Hilton Québec in Québec City, Canada.
The Walter P. Moore, Jr. Faculty Achievement Award recognizes new faculty members for excellence and innovation in the teaching of concrete design, materials, or construction. The award honors the late Walter P. Moore, Jr., ACI Fellow, former ACI Board member, and a structural engineer and educator in Texas.
The honor from the ACI Board of Direction is specifically for Yazdanbakhsh’s “innovative and broad-reaching ways of educating students from middle school through college about environmentally-conscious concrete design," says Ronald G. Burg, ACI executive vice president.
In June 2017, Yazdanbakhsh led a workshop at the Grove School for students from nearby Hamilton Grange Middle School. The young engineers got hands-on, in-depth exposure to the many qualities of concrete. They also learned why it is among the world’s leading choice material for building construction.
“Part of concrete’s attractiveness is the availability of the raw materials and the low-cost of production,” says Yazdanbakhsh, adding “environmental considerations must be taken into account when using concrete as it is one of the largest emitters of CO2 during the production of its components.”
The program was in partnership with the New York City Department of Design and Construction, the New York City Department of Education and the After-School All- Stars Program.
