George Hearn

George Hearn is an Associate Professor of Structural Engineering & Structural Mechanics at the University of Colorado Boulder's Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering School. As a Professional Engineer (PE), he specializes in bridge inspection, design, rehabilitation, and management with over 35 years of industry experience. His research focuses on structural systems like the CU/NEES Lab Reaction Wall and developing national databases for highway bridge maintenance actions. He has authored numerous papers on bridge preservation strategies, performance metrics, and lifecycle management.

His work emphasizes integrating nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques with bridge management systems (BMS), particularly in quantifying maintenance actions and tracking structural health. Key areas of interest include load posting compliance, deterioration modeling for bridge components, and optimizing maintenance prioritization frameworks. Hearn collaborates with state transportation departments to improve infrastructure decision-making processes and has contributed to AASHTO guidelines for bridge preservation.

Research contributions span bridge element condition reporting, performance indices aligned with national management measures, and the development of standardized databases for tracking maintenance actions. His work bridges theoretical engineering principles with practical implementation in public infrastructure systems.

Publications since 2000 have explored topics ranging from faulted pavements at bridge abutments to reliability-based repair strategies, reflecting a career-long focus on structural safety and lifecycle analysis.