Overview
The Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure and Communities group (abbreviated RSIC and pronounced "risk") promotes practices that support the long-term viability and well-being of communities. We address topics related to structural and civil engineering but are always looking at the bigger picture; the technical aspects in isolation are meaningless if we don't understand the people they are supposed to serve. Our activities include:
- Theoretical clarification of the "sustainability", "resilience", and the relation between them.
- Membership on the Sustainability Council of LA Metro (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) and the Disaster Resilience and Climate working groups of the Structural Engineering Institute Sustainability Committee.
- An opinion survey of practicing structural engineers to determine industry barriers to sustainable design practices.
- An ongoing study on sustainability and resilience of underground transportation infrastructure (UTI).
- Computational and experimental studies on structural materials and systems seeking to reduce the environmental impact of structures.
Current Projects
- Resilience and Sustainability of Underground Transportation Infrastructure. We are reviewing existing frameworks and based on the findings will develop draft specifications and guidelines to address sustainability and resilience in underground transportation infrastructure.
Principal Publications
T. Rodriguez-Nikl (2017)."Using Systems Thinking to Achieve Sustainability and Disaster Resilience" in Handbook of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, C. Madu and C.-H. Kuei, eds., 139-169. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/9789813207950_0006.
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T. Rodriguez-Nikl (2015). "Linking Disaster Resilience and Sustainability", Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, Special Issue on Resilience, 32(1-2), 157-169. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10286608.2015.1025386.
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T. Rodriguez-Nikl, J. Kelley, Q. Xiao, K. Hammer, and B. Tilt (2014). "Structural Engineers and Sustainability: An Opinion Survey", J. Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice. In print: 2015, 141(3), 04014011. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000228.
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T. Rodriguez-Nikl, R. Gupta, A. Kramer, and A. Sinha (2013). "Seismic Laboratory Testing of Energy-Efficient, Staggered-Stud, Wood-Framed Shear Walls", J. Structural Engineering, Special Issue on Sustainable Building Structures. In print: 2015,141(3), B4014003. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000894.
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T. Rodriguez-Nikl, J. Christiansen, and K. Walters (2012), "Reliability-Based Life Cycle Assessment of Green Concrete Structures", Recent Advances in Concrete Technology and Sustainability Issues, SP-289.12, ACI, Farmington Hills, MI. Click link to article on concrete.org.
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Professional Activities
I am a member of the Sustainability Council of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) and was previously a member of the Sustainability Committee of the Structural Engineering Institute (2009-2015) within which I formed and chaired the Disaster Resilience Working Group (2011-2015) and worked on the Climate Working Group (2010-2015). I was also a member of the American Concrete Institute Committee for Sustainability of Concrete (ACI 130) from 2009-2017.