Theodore P. Zoli, III is an American

structural engineer Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of safety, technical, economic ...

, and a leading designer of

cable-stayed bridge A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern o ...

s. He is currently the National Bridge Chief Engineer at

HNTB HNTB Corporation is an American infrastructure design firm. Founded in 1914 in Kansas City, Missouri, HNTB began with the partnership made by Ernest Emmanuel Howard with the firm Waddell & Harrington, founded in 1907. Considered as one of the m ...

Corporation and is a 2009

MacArthur Fellow The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 ind ...

Career

Zoli graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

with a B.S. in 1988 and from the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

with an M.S. in 1989. Since 1990, he has worked for

Corporation. He is a visiting lecturer at

and Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Zoli has focused on the retrofit of bridges across the United States. He developed a novel composite material for lightweight, blast-resistant coverings for a broad array of construction applications stating, “Engineers learn from events, and what 9-11 taught us was that we have to design for unforeseen events; that’s what I’m interested in: designing for things we can’t anticipate.” His blast-resistant bridge work helped earn him the 2009 MacArthur Foundation award. Zoli designed the new Lake Champlain Bridge connecting New York to Vermont, replacing an older structure and using a unique modified network tied-arch bridge design. Zoli led completion of the design of the Lake Champlain Bridge in an unprecedented 10 weeks in an effort to mitigate community impacts of the prior bridge closing due to structural deterioration of unreinforced piers. The modified network tied-arch bridge design, selected by local public from among five bridge alternatives presented by Zoli, allowed the main span to be constructed off site and lifted into place by barge, accommodating the replacement within two years of closure of the original bridge built in 1929. The project performed permitting, final design, and advertisement all occurring concurrently, coining the term dynamic design/bid/build. The new bridge was opened ty traffic on November 7, 2011 nearly two years after the original bridge was closed. He designed the

Squibb Park Bridge Squibb Park Bridge is a footbridge connecting Brooklyn Bridge Park and Squibb Park in Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn, New York City. It is the second of two bridges on the same site. The original bridge opened in March 2013 and was demolished in l ...

, a pedestrian bridge in Brooklyn, which opened in 2013. It was demolished in 2019 due to structural problems and following a lawsuit against his firm.

Awards

* 2009

MacArthur Fellows Program The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 ind ...

* 2012 Engineering News-Record, Award of Excellence

Works

Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge The Leonard P. Zakim () Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (also known as “The Zakim”) is a cable-stayed bridge completed in 2003 across the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a replacement for the Charlestown High Bridge, an older trus ...

Blennerhassett Island Bridge Blennerhassett Island Bridge, with a network arch design, carries U.S. Route 50 ( Appalachian Development Highway System's Corridor D) over the Ohio River and the historic Blennerhassett Island between Belpre Township, Washington County, Ohio ...

* Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge * Lake Champlain Bridge (2011-present) *

Jeremiah Morrow Bridge The Jeremiah Morrow Bridge is the name for a pair of concrete box girder bridges built between 2010 and 2016 which carry Interstate 71 over the Little Miami River gorge between Fort Ancient and Oregonia, Ohio. The bridges are named for former Go ...

South Park Bridge The South Park Bridge (also called the 14th/16th Avenue South Bridge) is a Scherzer rolling lift double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States. The bridge is operated by the King County government,Zoli's Curriculum Vitae via SUNY Buffalo's MCEER program
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoli, Theodore Hotchkiss School alumni Princeton University alumni California Institute of Technology alumni Princeton University faculty Columbia University faculty American civil engineers Living people MacArthur Fellows Year of birth missing (living people)