World-renowned composites expert, Dr. Hota V. GangaRao,

World-renowned composites expert, Dr. Hota V. GangaRao, P.E. of West Virginia University, explains how composites were used in repairs at East Fork Bridge to Col. Leon Parrott, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District commander, March 27, 2014. Composites are strong, light weight, and economical materials used in civil works projects. John Clarkson, a licensed professional engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District, is a former student of GangaRao and when an inspection revealed corrosion-damaged piles weakened the utility of the East Fork Bridge, Clarkson reached out to GangaRao to jointly explore how composites could solve the problem. Also photographed are John Clarkson, a licensed professional engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (far right) and Rich Lampo, a materials engineer from the USACE Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (right).