A history lesson ... on bridges
Lecture by Professor Radu Băncilă
The K1 amphitheater at the Conference Center of Politehnica University Timișoara proved to be too small on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, for all those who wished to attend a real history lesson of the bridges supported by prof. emeritus. eng. Radu Băncilă, from the Faculty of Civil Engineering within UPT, on the occasion of the inaugural conference of reception in the Academy of Technical Sciences of Romania.
The distinguished professor was received as Honorary Member of the Civil Engineering and City Planning Section of ASTR, and on this occasion he supported the exhibition with the title "A short history of metal bridges. From cast iron bridges to suspended structures”.
Within it, Professor Radu Băncilă started from the symbolism of the bridge, as a bridge between people, represented on most European banknotes, reviewing the whole history of the construction of bridges, from antiquity to the present day, without omitting the disasters that have appeared, over time, thus highlighting the huge responsibility that presses on the builders in the field. In this regard, the role of the Timisoara School of Civil Engineering, one of the most prestigious at the regional level, was emphasized, whose great achievements were pointed out in the exhibition.
Prof. emeritus eng. Radu Băncilă, PhD, is a graduate of the Polytechnic Institute of Timișoara, Faculty of Civil Engineering, promotion of 1967. In 1981 he became doctor engineer and from 1992 university professor within the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of CMMC. In 1997 he became a doctoral supervisor, and in 2012 he received the title of emeritus professor of Politehnica University Timișoara.
In 1991, Professor Radu Băncilă initiated the study of civil engineering in German - the first non-German study program in Romania with teaching in German. Professor Băncilă contributed to the conclusion of a partnership contract, in 1993, between Politehnica University Timișoara and the Technical University of Munich, and the section was included in the program of promotion of the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD. Professor Radu Băncilă, the former head of the Civil Engineering department with teaching in German at Politehnica University Timișoara, has been involved for many years in higher education in Romania with teaching in German.
In 2012, Professor Băncilă received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, "Cross of Merit Class I" from the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Romania, Andreas von Mettenheim .
He is a member or founding member in a series of international associations of caliber in the field of civil engineering, has 110 scientific papers published in prestigious international journals, 10 specialized books published, 4 in English and 2 in German.
