Faculty Profile

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BIOGRAPHY

  • Ph.D., Structural Engineering, Cornell University, 1988.
  • M.S., Structural Engineering, Cornell University, 1985.
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1982.

Don White is a Professor at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). He has been a member of the CEE faculty at Georgia Tech since 1997. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Dr. White served on the faculty at the Purdue University School of Civil Engineering from 1987 to 1996. He received his doctorate in Structural Engineering from Cornell University in 1988, and is an alumnus of North Carolina State University. Prior to graduate study, Dr. White worked as a structural engineer in Raleigh, NC.

Dr. White’s research covers a broad area of design and behavior of steel and composite steel-concrete structures as well as computational mechanics, methods of nonlinear analysis and applications to design. Dr. White is a member of the AISC Technical Committees 4, Member Design, and 10, Loads, Analysis and Stability, the AISI Bridge Design Advisory Group, the AISC Specification Committee, and several AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration Task Groups. He is past Chair of the SSRC Task Group 29, Second-Order Inelastic Analysis of Frames and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the SSRC.

Dr. White has served as a major contributor to the steel design and structural analysis sections of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and the ANSI/AISC Specification for Structural Steel Build­ings during the past 20 years. He was a lead author on the 1997 ASCE publication Effective Length and Notional Load Approaches for Assessing Frame Stability: Implications for American Steel Design, which was a precursor of the development of the AISC Direct analysis Method of design, referred to as the DM. Furthermore, Dr. White was a major participant ad hoc task group efforts leading to the development of the DM, which is the preferred method of stability design in the AISC Specification for Design of Steel Building Structures. Subsequent to these developments, the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) provided White the opportunity to extend a number of these developments to updated procedures for design of frames using web-tapered members, which is captured within the AISC/MBMA Design Guide 25. Dr. White received the 2005 Special Achievement Award and the 2009 T.R. Higgins lectureship award from AISC for his research on design criteria for steel and composite steel-concrete members in bridge and building construction. He received the 2006 Shortridge Hardesty Award from ASCE for his research on advanced frame stability concepts and practical design formulations. For efforts leading to the comprehensive update to the 2005 AASHTO LRFD provisions for steel I- and box-girder bridge design, and unification of AASHTO LRFD provisions for straight and curved girder bridge design, White received the 2007 Richard S. Fountain Bridge Task Force Award and, with M. Grubb and W. Wright, the 2006 Richardson Medal from the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania.

Dr. White has conducted research on a wide range of topics relating to stability analysis and design and construction engineering of steel bridge structures. This includes work on construction simulation of curved and skewed steel bridges, investigation of the behavior of thin-web girders, and stability of components and structural systems during construction and in their final constructed condition. He was one of several researchers privileged to be involved closely with curved steel bridge experimental testing at the FHWA Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center from 1997 through 2005. Dr. White was P.I. and lead author of the NCHRP Report 725, Guidelines for Analytical Methods and Construction Engineering of Curved and Skewed Steel Girder Bridges. This work contributed additional substantive advances to the state-of-the-art in the engineering of curved and skewed steel girder bridge structures. Dr. White is currently P.I. on a multi-year FHWA-sponsored effort with the goal of modernizing the AASHTO LRFD provisions pertaining to all types of noncomposite box-section members including truss members, edge girders in cable-stayed spans, arch ribs, arch ties, and tower legs.

Beyond his direct contributions as part of the development of the current AASHTO and AISC Specifica­tions, Dr. White has actively introduced the results of his research to practice. He is a co-author of the AISC Design Guide 28, Stability Design of Steel Buildings, as well as the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) and AISC Design Guide 25, Frame Design Using Web-Tapered Members. These documents provide extensive guidelines for the engineering of steel building structural systems. In addition, he is author of Volume 4 of the NSBA Steel Bridge Design Handbook, Structural Behavior of Steel, which provides an extensive overview of the background to the AASHTO LRFD provisions for steel design.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Computational mechanics
  • Numerical methods
  • Structural stability
  • Steel structures
  • Computer-aided engineering

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Runner‐Up, Sarada M. and Ramulu S. Vinnakota Award (Best Student Paper), for Subramanian, L.P. and White, D.W. (2016). “Improved Stability Design of Longitudinally Stiffened Plate Girders,” Proceedings, Annual Stability Conference, Structural Stability Research Council, March.
  • Sarada M & Ramulu S. Vinnakota Award (Runner Up for Best Student Paper), for Subramanian, L.P. and White, D.W., (2015) “Evaluation of Lateral Torsional Buckling Resistance Equations in AISC and AASHTO,” and Togay, O., Jeong, W.Y, Bishop, C.D. and White, D.W. (2015), “Toward a More Comprehensive Approach for Design Using Buckling Analysis,” Proceedings of the Annual Stability Conference, Structural Stability Research Council, March.
  • Leadership in the use of Technology Award, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Tech, 2013.
  • Raymond C. Reese Research Prize, 2010, American Society of Civil Engineers.
  • T. R. Higgins Lectureship Award, 2009, American Institute of Steel Construction.
  • Richard S. Fountain Bridge Task Force Award, 2007, American Iron and Steel Institute and American Society of State Highway and Transportation Officials Steel Structures Committee
  • Shortridge Hardesty Award, 2006, American Society of Civil Engineers
  • George S. Richardson Medal, 2006, Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania International Bridge Conference
  • American Institute of Steel Construction 2005 Special Achievement Award.
  • Sarada M. and Ramulu S. Vinnakota Award (Best Student Paper), for Maleck, A.E. and White, D.W. (2001). “A modified elastic approach for the design of steel frames,” Proceedings of Annual Technical Session, Structural Stability Research Council, May

RECENT PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

ARTICLES
  • Subramanian, L., Jeong, W.Y., Yellepeddi, R. and White, D.W. (2017). “Assessment of I‐Section Member LTB Resistances Considering Experimental Tests and Practical Inelastic Buckling Design Calculations,” Engineering Journal, AISC, accepted: Dec 21, 2016.
  • Bakhtiary, E., Lee, S.‐H., Stewart, L.K., Scott, D.W. and White, D.W. (2017). “Evaluation of Guardrail Posts Installed in Asphalt Mow Strips by Static Finite Element Simulation,” Open Journal of Civil Engineering, in press, doi:10.4236, 11 pp.
  • Lee, S.‐H., Bakhtiary, E., Scott, D.W., Stewart, L.K. and White, D.W. (2017). “Influence of Geometric Parameters on the Restraint of Guardrail Posts by Asphalt Mow Strips,” Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, in‐press: Jan. 3, 2017.
  • Coletti, D.A., White, D.W., Nguyen, T.V., Chavel, B.W., Grubb, M.A. and Boring, C.G. (2017). “Reliable Fit‐Up of Steel I‐Girder Bridges,” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Volume 2642, in press, doi: 10.3141/2642‐01.
  • Subramanian, L. and White, D.W. (2017). “Resolving the Disconnect between Lateral Torsional Buckling Experimental Tests, Test Simulations and Design Strength Equations,” Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 128, 321‐334.
BOOKS
  • Kaehler, R. White, D.W., Kim, Y.D. and Jeong, W.Y. (2017). Design of Frames Using Nonprismatic Members, AISC/MBMA Design Guide 25, 2nd Edition, American Institute of Steel Construction and Metal Building Manufacturers Association, (to appear).
  • AASHTO/NSBA (2016). Guidelines to Design for Constructability, Document G12.1‐2016, Steel Bridge Collaboration Task Group 12 (major contributor), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and National Steel Bridge Alliance, Washington, DC, 51 pp.
  • NSBA (2016). Skewed and/or Curved I‐Girder Bridge Fit, 2nd Edition, NSBA Technical Subcommittee (major contributor), National Steel Bridge Alliance, American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, IL, 46 p
  • Chavel, B., Coletti, D., Frank, K., Grubb, M. McEleney, W., Medlock, R. and White, D. (2016). Skewed and/or Curved I‐Girder Bridge Fit, Summary, NSBA Technical Committee, Fit Task Force, National Steel Bridge Alliance, American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, IL, 7 pp.
  • White, D.W. (2015). Design of Frames Using Web-Tapered Members, AISC/MBMA Design Guide 25, 2nd Edition (to appear).
PROCEEDINGS
  • White, D.W., Kim, Y.D., Mentes, Y. and Leon, R.T. (2016). “Finite Element Simulation and Assessment of the Strength of Riveted and Bolted Gusset‐Plate Connections in Steel Truss Bridges,” Connections VIII, Eighth International Workshop on Connections in Steel Structures, American Institute of Steel Construction, in press, 10 pp.
  • Togay, O., Jeong, W.Y., Bishop, C.D. and White, D.W. (2015). “Toward a More Comprehensive Approach for Design using Buckling Analysis,” Proceedings, Annual Stability Conference, Structural Stability Research Council, Nashville, TN, March, 20 pp. (to appear).
  • Subramanian, L.P. and White, D.W. (2015). “Evaluation of Lateral Torsional Buckling Resistance Equations in AISC and AASHTO,” Proceedings, Annual Stability Conference, Structural Stability Research Council, Nashville, TN, March, 20 pp. (to appear).
  • Nguyen, T.V. and White, D.W. (2014). “Impact of Camber Calculation, Camber and Deck Thickness Tolerance, and Framing Arrangement on Fit Responses in Straight-Skewed I-Girder Bridges,” Proceedings, World Steel Bridge Symposium, National Steel Bridge Alliance, Toronto
  • Subramanian, L.P. and White, D.W. (2014). “Web Post Buckling Resistance of Longitudinally Stiffened Plate Girders,” Proceedings, Annual Stability Conference, Structural Stability Research Council, St. Louis, MO, April, 20 pp.
REPORTS
  • Bishop, C.D. and White, D.W. (2013c). “Toward a More Comprehensive Approach for Design of Complex Stability Bracing,” Report to Metal Building Manufacturers Association, 26 pp.
  • Bishop, C.D. and White, D.W. (2013b). “Flange Bracing Requirements for Metal Building Systems,” Report to Metal Building Manufacturers Association, 238 pp.
  • Dykas, J.C., Leon, R.T., and White, D.W. (2012). “Behavior During Construction of Ramp B Bridge over I-40 in Nashville, TN,” Final Technical Report to Tennessee Department of Transportation, April, 201 pp.
  • White, D.W., Leon, R.T., Kim, Y.D., Mentes, Y., and Bhuiyan, M. (2012d). “Behavior and Design of Riveted and Bolted Gusset Plate Connections for Steel Bridges – Finite Element Test Simulation Studies,” Report to Federal Highway Administration, Project No. NCHRP 12-84, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, February, 345 pp.
  • Chavel, B.D., Coletti, D., and White, D.W. (2012b). “Recommendations for Construction Plan Details and Level of Construction Analysis,” Task 9 Report, Project No. NCHRP 12-79, February, 45 pp.
PRESENTATIONS
  • White, D.W. (2015). “Beam-Column Bracing (Strength and Stiffness), Session N24, North American Steel Construction Conference, Nashville, TN (to appear).
  • Griffis, L.G. and White, D.W. (2015). “Stability Design of Steel Buildings,” Session N2, North American Steel Construction Conference, Nashville, TN (to appear).
  • Scott, D.W., Lee, S.-H., Bakhtiary, E., Arson, C.F. and White, D.W. (2015). “Static Response of Steel Guardrail Posts Driven Through Asphalt Vegetation Barriers,” W-Beam Guardrail Design, Session 209, Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, sponsored by Roadside Safety Design Committee (AFB20).
  • White, D.W. (2014). “Integrating Dynamic Analysis with the Direct Analysis Method,” Session N18, North American Steel Construction Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  • White, D.W. and Ziemian, R.D. (2014). “Direct Analysis Method – Now and the Future,” North American Steel Construction Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.