Academy of Distinguished Alumni

  • Alumni Image #1:
  • Image Caption Title #1: Truss Buckling Tests
  • Image Caption #1: Todd has been active in developing and teaching continuing education short courses on the design and behavior of building and bridge systems. Well over 5,000 engineers have attended his short courses over the last 20+ years. A majority of the material for these courses is derived directly from his own research program.
  • Alumni Image #2:
  • Image Caption Title #2: Field Studies
  • Image Caption #2: Helwig finds himself at home at Ferguson Structural Engineering Lab, an impressive test facility that enables large-scale studies on structural behavior. It is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world and he has set up some unique test setups for testing steel structures. His research also includes field monitoring of bridges under construction, and parametric FEA studies.
headshot of Todd Helwig

helwig

Todd A. Helwig

PhD, University of Texas at Austin, 1994
MS, University of Texas at Austin, 1989
BS, University of Texas at Austin, 1987

Professor Todd Helwig is an international expert on the stability aspects of bridge construction with a focus on the design and behavior of steel structures. He is a talented, hands-on researcher and teacher who trains his students to become outstanding engineers, and creates practical solutions for practicing engineers. His ability to educate others on the applied technology that comprises the built environment better is exemplary.  

Todd joined the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin in 2005 after excelling on the faculty at the University of Houston. His research has had a broad focus including studies involving full-scale laboratory testing, field monitoring of bridges under construction and parametric FEA studies. He has also carried out studies on prestressed concrete and elastomeric bearings for high demand bridge applications.

Todd has also been active in developing and teaching continuing education short courses on the design and behavior of building and bridge systems. Over 5,000 engineers have attended his short courses over the last 20+ years. A majority of the material for these courses is derived directly from his own research program. 

Many of his novel solutions and recommendations have been implemented by TxDOT and Todd has been active on a number of technical committees within the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Steel Construction, the Transportation Research Board, the AASHTO Steel Bridge Task Force, and the Structural Stability Research Council.

His research has been recognized with several awards including the ASCE Collingwood Research Prize, the ASCE Moisseiff Award, and the ASCE Shortridge Hardesty Award. Todd's work on stability bracing systems in steel bridges was recognized at the North American Steel Construction Conference with a Special Achievement Award.  He was also recently selected as the recipient of the 2017 T. R. Higgins Lectureship Award from AISC.