US_DOT_Advisory

Mission of the DOT Advisory Board

The DOT Advisory Board is a volunteer of group experts in the field of FRP's with one mission; to advance the adoption of new technology within the DOTs through open communication among producers, certification programs, project owners and technology providers.

Sharing of information on new technology
Work toward standarization of material acceptance practices
Advocacy of technologies that will facilitate more efficient data sharing and data transfer

Our network includes authors of all major international design codes and standards, test methods, designers with extensive experience with FRP's, owners and manufacturers.

Activities update:

The following is a brief synopsis of current activities and collaboration with the FRP Institute

Maine DOT - Joseph Stilwell created a QA section in standard specifications listing FRP Institute as a required audit for supplying a certificate of completion for FRP bars.
Michigan DOT - Worked with Matt Chenoweth on creating requirement to specifically address carbon fiber strand. Working with his replacement Steve Kahls currently to expand specification development into FRP bars, In which the plan will be to utilize the fully approved spec currently under development.
North Carolina DOT - Cabell Garbee created a spec provision requiring a FRP Institute certificate of a successful audit to supply FRP bards and Carbon fiber strand.
Virginia DOT - Working with John Schuler developing requirements for the FRP Institute as well a requirement to compliment activities with NTPEP. His state will also employ our standard specification.
Oregon DOT - Working with Tanarat Potisuk who will also utilize our developed specification and require both FRP Institute as well NTPEP
New Jersey DOT - Working with Ali Najem who is currently assembling staff to work with FRP Institute to review our process then facilitate use of our audit program.
Kansas DOT - Working with Christopher Leibrock who will be using our standard specification to implement FRP Institute audit requirements and that of NTPEP.
Ohio DOT - Working with Dan Miller, They currently have fairly sophisticated standard specifications regarding FRP’s However will be updating a QAQC section to require FRP Institute as well NTPEP audits of producers.
New York DOT - is pending further review of documentation.
PENNDOT- Pending further review of documentation
Developing a consensus GFRP materials specification amongst all FRP bar producers participating in the FRP plant certificaton program. The standard procurement specification will be available to NTPEP and concurring additional states who utilize AASHTOware.
Held an FRP structural strengthening training seminar for CalTrans with additional training venues being planned.
Planning an FRP education & training seminar in Maine in May 2023 to be held in Augusta ME covering both internal FRP bar reinforcing and externally bonded FRP strengthening.

DOT Advisory Board

W. Cabell Garbee II, P.E., Chairman Manufactured Products Engineer Materials and Tests Unit North Carolina Department of Transportation

Tanarat Potisuk, PhD, P, SE. Chair AASHTO T-6 Concrete Bridge Standards Engineering Oregon Deptartment of Transportation

Christopher T. Gale PCI III, CCT 3 Materials Manager – Nice Middleton Bridge Maryland Transportation Authority

Richard Giessel, P.E. State Quality Assurance Engineer Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities

Heather Purdy Hall, P.E. Assistant Director, Materials & Tests Division Tennessee Department of Transportation

Paul Q. Lukkarila, P.E. Senior Bridge Engineer California Department of Transportion (Caltrans)

Walter Taylor, P.E. Assistant State Project Review Engineer Georgia Department of Transportation

Joseph Stilwell, P.E. Fabrication Engineer MaineDOT-Bridge Program

Steven Nolan, P.E. Advanced Materials for Structural Durability & Resiliency State Structures Design Office Florida Department of Transportation

Rachel Cano P.E. Materials & Tests Division Texas Deptartment of Transportation

Chris Leibrock Assistant ureau Chief - Materials Lab Kansas Department of Transportation

M. Jason Mellons, P.E. Concrete & Aggregate Engineer Tennessee Department of Transportation

Dan Miller, P.E. Cement and Concrete Engineer ODOT Office of Materials Management

Sean Li, Ph.D Concrete Program Mgr, Materials Division Virginia Department of Transportation

FRP Institute Leadership

Richard Krolewski promotes the benefits of sustainable, resilient concrete construction with federal agencies, state Departments of Transportation and municipalities. He maintains close ties to the precast concrete industry, where he has worked for more than 17 years representing the interest of precast manufacturers and suppliers. Krolewski continues to work with the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, all State Departments of Transportation, and many local governments, specifying agencies and engineering firms. Krolewski's ultimate goal is to close the gaps between manufacturers, governing agencies, and specifiers to create a unified quality assurance system that benefits all participants.

Past successes include a three-year project with the Federal Aviation Administration to update FAA specifications to align with ASTM standards. The updated FAA Advisory Circular modernizes one of the federal government's key guidance documents covering more than 19,000 airport authorities and hundreds of major hub airports. Additionally, it is also referenced by the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

Krolewski has also worked extensively with the Federal Highway Administration on Buy America provisions and other key issues. He also has an extensive background in working with the international Association of Plumbing and Mechanical officials on precast concrete specifications within the Uniform Plumbing Code.

Douglas Gremel F.ACI, one of the foremost experts in FRP Rebar, has joined the DOT Advisory Board and is the Director of Engineering for Owens Corning Infrastructure and is on the Board of Directors of THiN-Wall LLC. Based in Seward, Nebraska, Doug is a full voting member of ACI Committee 440 and is active in subcommittees on research, professional education, repair, student beam competition, internal reinforcing, prestress, test methods, durability and masonry. He is also a full voting member of ACI 332 Residential Structural Concrete. He is an ACI Fellow.

Doug is a founder of THiN-Wall LLC, an intellectual property holding company that licenses a patented insulated sandwich wall panel building envelope system. Recognized as an expert in FRP Rebar, he founded the Asian FRP division of Hughes Brothers Inc. prior to its acquisition by Owens Corning in 2017, and is responsibility for many developments in the field of FRP Rebar since 1993. He was a founder of Aslan Pacific Hong Kong / Guangzhou China, now Dextra. He is active in developing worldwide standards related to FRPs in the European FIB TG5.1 and participates in CSA S807 and S806 committees. Doug also serves on ASTM Committee D30 and has been the principal author of multiple ASTM material standards and test methods for FRP Rebar and dowel bars. He is also on the executive committee of IIFC, the International Institute for FRPs in Construction, and is a member of the American Composites Manufacturers Association and a past chairman of the FRP Rebar Manufacturers Council.

Dr. Ahmed A.B. Mostafa of CMTE Inc. is a structural engineering firm and specialized testing facility for C/B&GFRP bars/sections as well as R&D for product development. CMTE is an approved testing facility for fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory by ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANBA), a signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). The accreditation scope includes mechanical, physical and durability tests for FRP. Dr. Mostafa is the CEO of CMTE Inc. and an adjunct professor at Ryerson University.

Dr. Mostafa will be a critical resource for our testing and material verification, he is a recognized expert in this area and an important technical advisor for our Board. We are excited that he is joining us in our mission to bring FRPs to the forefront of infrastructure reinforcement.

Dr. Mostafa holds a Ph.D. in structural engineering from McMaster University-Hamilton, Ontario, with a specialty in concrete structures externally strengthened with FRP. He was the vice president of Engineering for the former FRP manufacturer TemCorp and has more than 20 years of experience in testing, bridge engineering, finite element analysis, and analysis of structures subjected to extreme loadings.

Chase Knight, Ph.D., P.E., has a doctorate in Industrial Engineering from Florida A&M-Florida State University (FAMU-FSU). His graduate research focused on composite materials and nano-composite technologies. A leading expert in researching novel materials for composite fire protection and concrete coating for corrosion protection, he has written peer-reviewed articles published in various scientific journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Knight is currently the engineering project manager for the City of Gainesville, Florida.

During his years with the Florida DOT, Dr. Knight played a key role in the establishment of the FDOT Quality Control Program for approved composite material production facilities. He also led FDOT’s world-class team that provided technical guidance and activities related to corrosion and durability of structural materials.

Joseph Stilwell, P.E., fabrication engineer with the Maine DOT. Joe is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Maine with a P.E. in civil engineering. Joe’s background at MaineDOT is in bridge construction, structural design, and project management. As structural designer, he actively worked with composites and developed (in conjunction with Kenway Composite) an FRP Pile wrap system for making in-service repairs to pipe file that doesn't need annular grout.

In his current position, Joe oversees the construction of all prefabricated structures and components for Maine DOT, which uses composites for pipe piles, bridge drains, bridge structures, rebar, and repair items. Recently, he developed performance qualifications for GFRP use at MaineDOT and worked with the University of Maine TIDC to develop a QA program for structural composites. He oversees the fabrication of MaineDOT’s composite elements, including the first-of-its-kind composite tub girder bridge.

Joe is a steering committee member of AASHTOs’ National Transportation Product Evaluation Program, a member of COMP TS-3b (Fresh Concrete) and TS-4f (Metals), and provides composites fabrication guidance to the vice-chair of T-6 (FRP Composites). He is an ACMA-certified composites technician-VIP.

Cabell Garbee II P.E. is the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Manufactured Products Engineer. He manages the Department’s acceptance programs for metals, concrete, timber, plastics, and composite products used by the Department to include facility audits and approvals; product evaluations, inspections, and approvals. He is responsible for materials product tracking by use of RFID/barcode identification and participates in the Department’s specification development. He is the Co-Chair of the AASHTO NTPEP Composite Concrete Reinforcement Committee, Chairman of the FRP Institute for Civil Infrastructure DOT Advisory Board, and a Professional Engineer licensed in North Carolina and Virginia.

FRP Institute advisors

Scott F. Arnold, P.E. - Director of Engineering Solutions Fyfe. He has been working with Fyfe Company for over twenty-nine years on the design and development of the Tyfo® FRP composite strengthening systems. He is a licensed civil engineer in multiple states and has a Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of California at San Diego.

Tanarat Potisuk, PE, SE, PhD Concrete Bridge Standards Engineer - Oregon Department of Transportation & Chair AASHTO T-6 committee He is the technical resource for reinforced and prestressed concrete, seismic design, joint and bearing, and bridge strengthening. He is the chair of AASHTO T-6 FRP Composites and a voting member of T-10 Concrete Design

Adam Sander, a mechanical engineer with TUF-BAR, is the plant and engineering manager at TUF-BAR Fiberglass Rebar. His background includes more than 10 years in the construction, manufacturing, and inspection industries, including working with pultrusion equipment design, facility planning, and FRP industry research and development.

Adam is active in developing domestic and international material standards, participating in the CSA S807 and ASTM committees for FRP and as a member of the American Composites Manufactures Association (ACMA). He is also involved internationally with government and DOT networks to advise on input on quality programs and plant acceptance criteria.

Eri Vokshi, P.E. - is a Technical Sales Manager for CFRP and Corrosion Products at Sika-US. She has 11 years of experience with researching, designing, and specifying FRP materials. She holds a Master’s degree in Material Science from Arizona State University and is a professional engineer in the state of Florida. Eri is also an active member of ICRI, and ACI, where she serves as the chair of ACI 440-0E subcommittee.

Eri loves learning about innovative building materials, such as FRPs, and their behavior in various applications. She also likes presenting and sharing her knowledge with engineers and contractors.

Rudolf (Rudi) Seracino Ph.D. Dr. Seracino is a professor of Structural Engineering and an associate head of the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada, and his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Adelaide, Australia. Dr. Seracino’s primary research interest over the past 20 years isrelated to the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in critical civil infrastructure.

He is the director of the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure (CICI) at NC State, and a Fellow of the International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC). He is on the editorial board of the ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction and is a voting member of ACI Committee 440 on FRP Reinforcement.

Paul Q. Lukkarila, California Dept of Transportion, a CalTrans veteran of 33 years with leadership in bridge structures, involving major rehabilitation, emergency demolition, new alignment, widenings and four level interchanges projects.

He has also worked in structures maintenance performing bridge evaluation, emergency repair, critical inspections. He is currently a Branch Chief of an A2LA :1SO/IEC 17025 accredited lab for mechanical testing of rubber, steel, fasteners, prestessing strand, epoxy coatings, and metallography. Paul has certificates in Project Management, PCI Level I & II, ACI and a voting member for NTPEP reinforcing steel.

Matthew Chynoweth, P.E.,formerly of Chief Bridge Engineer for the Michigan DOT and past chair of AASHTO T-6 He is the Chief Bridge Engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation”

Sean Li, Ph.D. Concrete Program Mgr, Materials Division - Virginia DOT Sean (Xinjun) Li is the assistant division chief of the Concrete Technology Division at SHA’s Office of Materials Technology. Sean received his Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2006. As a registered professional engineer, Sean has more than 18-year experience with pavement and material engineering. Prior to joining MDOT SHA, he worked as a contract research engineer/laboratory manager at Federal Highway Administration’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center for 11 years.

Crhis Leibrock, P.E. is currently Assistant Bureau Chief – Materials Lab for Kansas DOT, has over 10 years of experience working with DOT’s and 7 years in the consulting industry. Prior to coming to KDOT, Chris worked as a Geotechnical consultant for 2 years and South Dakota DOT for 5 years in various roles that included Research, Hydraulics and Geotech. He holds PE licenses in both Kansas and South Dakota. He attended South Dakota School of Mines and Technology where he obtained a Bachelors and Masters in Civil Engineering.

Xavier Seynave, quality and environment director at Pultrall.. A mechanical engineer with a specialization in composite materials, he has held positions of project manager (7 years), quality director (12 years) and environment manager (5 years) for Pultrall.

He holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and IATF 16943 certifications and is a voting member of ACI 440 and ASTM D30.10 committees. He is also a voting member of CAA S807 (material specifications and test methods).

Kelley Severns, P.E., PMP, has joined the DOT Advisory Board as a technical advisor. A bridge design engineer and program manager for bridges and structures, Kelley has more than 20 years of experience in transportation engineering. She is currently authoring case studies and performing technical research and writing for AASHTO’s Center for Environmental Excellence-Environmental Technical Assistance Program (ETAP) and the National Operations Center of Excellence (NoCE).

Rachel Cano, PE of TxDOT Materials & Test Division is an engineer in the Rigid Pavements and Concrete Materials section of the Materials and Tests Division of TxDOT. She has been with the Department since June 2013 when she took an engineering position in the concrete laboratory. Since then, she has become the program lead in the concrete and steel laboratories and serves as a technical support resource for concrete, steel, and rigid pavement related issues to the TxDOT districts. Rachel manages the material specifications and approved lists for various cementitious and steel products, coordinates project level testing in the concrete and steel laboratories and manages the statewide concrete proficiency program and TxDOT ACI certification activities. Rachel received her B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2011 and 2013. Rachel has been a registered professional engineer in Texas since 2018.

Gregg Blaszak is a civil/structural engineer with over 25 years of experience in the design, specification, and construction of fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) for heavy/civil infrastructure projects. Mr. Blaszak is the president of Coastline Composites, a well-respected technical sales and consulting firm specializing in developing applications for FRPs in the bridge, marine, rail, tunnel, and waterfront markets. He is a leading expert on the strengthening and retrofit of concrete structures with carbon fiber materials and has chaired a number of industry committees responsible for developing design and construction guidelines. He has authored several technical papers on FRPs.

Interested in participating in the US DOT Advisory Board of the FRP Institute ? Contact us and get involved.