Dr. Rebecca Atadero joined our faculty as an assistant professor in July 2008. For the past two years, as a research scientist/instructor, she has taught Structural Analysis and Steel Design to undergraduate students. Rebecca earned her bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University in 2002. She went on to the University of California, San Diego to earn a M.S. and Ph.D. in structural engineering. Rebecca first returned to Colorado State University in 2006 as a research scientist, and she and her husband Todd, are both excited to continue living in Fort Collins.

As a doctoral student Rebecca studied fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials for use in the repair and strengthening of existing reinforced concrete structures. FRP materials are composed of very fine reinforcing fibers, most often carbon or glass, embedded in a polymer matrix, such as epoxy. They have been used extensively in mechanical and aerospace applications, and over the past 20 years have seen increasing use in civil engineering. In particular Rebecca studied the development of probabilistic based procedures for the design of externally bonded FRP, and considered the variability in the composite material when it is manufactured on site. Understanding and improving the application of such materials is critical in order to provide for continued safety, as our nation’s bridges and other types of infrastructure continue to age and experience continued environmental attack and increasing load demands.

Since returning to CSU, Rebecca has worked on several projects including an ongoing project investigating the use of fly ash (a byproduct of energy generation using coal) and fibers from recycled tires to develop sustainable alternatives to Portland cement based products. She also recently received the department award for Outstanding Research Scientist/Instructor.

Rebecca plans to continue her research on the repair and rehabilitation of existing structures, giving particular emphasis to the reliability of inspection processes and the condition of the existing structure at the time when repairs are made. She will also continue to study new structural materials such as FRP and fly ash based products in the structural materials lab she will be developing this summer at the Engineering Research Center on the Foothills Campus. This laboratory, with its equipment for material level tests, will complement the existing large scale testing equipment in the Structural Engineering Laboratory.

Rebecca states "I am very excited to have the opportunity to teach and conduct research in my home state of Colorado. As an undergraduate student in the Department of Civil Engineering, I really valued the level of commitment the faculty in the department gave to the students and I look forward to continuing that tradition."