Bridge infrastructure for a changing future
On July 2, 2026, ARISE welcomed Assistant Professor Cancan Yang of McMaster University for a research presentation, Towards Bridge Infrastructure Adaptable to Future Climate Conditions and Emerging Transportation Technologies.
As climate change and new transportation technologies reshape bridge-engineering demands, Dr. Yang’s presentation considered how bridges can adapt to changing loads, escalating environmental pressures, and more frequent and intense extreme events.
She presented a practical framework for evaluating the long-term safety and serviceability of concrete highway bridges experiencing corrosion-driven deterioration in a changing climate. The work also addressed how concrete structures perform under service and extreme load demands, including vehicular collisions and automated truck platooning.
The presentation emphasized data-driven strategies for resilient design, targeted maintenance, and proactive infrastructure management in the face of evolving environmental and technological disruptions.
Speaker bio
View Dr. Yang’s McMaster University profile
Dr. Cancan Yang is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at McMaster University. She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, specializing in structural and earthquake engineering, from the University at Buffalo in 2019. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Chongqing University and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University at Buffalo.
Her research focuses on highway bridge engineering, particularly precast concrete bridges. Using experimental and computational methods, she investigates structural systems and materials that can reduce earthquake-induced damage and support accelerated bridge construction in seismic regions. Her expertise includes prestressed concrete bridges, novel structural materials, damage mitigation, seismic resilience and sustainability, large-scale structural testing, nonlinear structural analysis, and reinforced concrete structures.