Two media outlets featured comments from Habib Tabatabai, professor in civil and environmental engineering, in their reporting of the collapse of the Baltimore bridge on March 26. Wisconsin ranks 23rd in the U.S. in a state’s percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.
Tabatabai pointed out that the widespread need to modernize physical infrastructure, such as bridges, means the government has to prioritize the riskiest. Tabatabai is an expert in the structural safety and durability of bridges.