Theodore Zoli
Quick Facts
Biography
Theodore P. Zoli, III is an American structural engineer, and a leading designer of cable-stayed bridges. He is currently the National Bridge Chief Engineer at HNTB Corporation and is a 2009 MacArthur Fellow.
Career
Zoli graduated from Princeton University with a B.S. in 1988 and from the California Institute of Technology with an M.S. in 1989. Since 1990, he has worked for HNTB Corporation. He is a visiting lecturer at Princeton University and Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Zoli has focused on the retrofit of bridges across the United States. He developed a novel composite material for lightweight, blast-resistant coverings for a broad array of construction applications. Most recently, Zoli designed the new Lake Champlain Bridge connecting New York to Vermont, replacing an older structure and using a unique segmented arch design. He designed the Squibb Park Bridge for pedestrians in Brooklyn, NY. The 400-foot-long span, designed to bounce under foot traffic like a catwalk in a state park, opened in 2013, and was closed for use a year later due to safety concerns over excessive spring and bounce. It remains closed as of November 2015. [1] In January 2016 the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation filed a lawsuit against HNTB for the "defective design" of the Squibb Park Bridge, and appointed ARUP as new engineer of record for repair and completion of the bridge.
Awards
- 2009 MacArthur Fellows Program
Works
- Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge
- Blennerhassett Island Bridge
- Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
- [1]