Dr. Zdeněk Bažant is a world-renowned structural engineer and leading authority in scaling laws for structural mechanics and fracture of quasibrittle materials. He currently serves as McCormick Institute Professor and Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University's Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science with additional appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. Born in Prague on December 10 1937 he earned his Civil Engineer degree with highest distinction from Czech Technical University in 1960 followed by a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in 1963. After working as a bridge engineer in Prague and completing advanced studies in theoretical physics at Charles University he joined Northwestern University in 1969 becoming a full professor in 1973 and establishing himself as a pivotal figure in structural mechanics research.
Dr. Bažant's groundbreaking research on size effects in structural failure has fundamentally transformed the understanding of fracture mechanics in concrete rock fiber composites and other quasibrittle materials with his scaling laws providing the theoretical foundation for predicting structural strength across different scales. His development of the size effect method for determining fracture energy has been widely adopted in engineering practice and standards worldwide significantly improving the safety and reliability of large-scale structures. His seminal work on concrete creep theory which he began developing in his doctoral dissertation has become the standard approach for analyzing time-dependent deformation in concrete structures. With over 450 refereed journal articles and six influential books to his name including Fracture and Size Effect in Concrete and Other Quasibrittle Materials and Scaling of Structural Strength his research has garnered exceptional recognition as a Highly Cited Researcher across all engineering fields.
Beyond his research achievements Dr. Bažant has been instrumental in building the global community for fracture mechanics and concrete research through his founding presidency of the International Association of Fracture Mechanics and Concrete Structures and leadership of the Society of Engineering Science. His election to both the National Academy of Engineering in 1996 and National Academy of Sciences in 2002 represents rare dual recognition of his transformative contributions to engineering science. As a dedicated educator he has mentored generations of engineers and established the Center for Concrete and Geomaterials at Northwestern University in 1981 which continues to be a leading research hub in the field. His ongoing work continues to refine scaling theories for emerging materials and structures ensuring his legacy of rigorous theoretical frameworks will guide structural engineering practice for decades to come.
