Academics
Academic Events
There is no royal road to science, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits.
2023 academic eventS
S&T Researchers Present at ASCE Geo-Institute Case Histories Seminar
ASCE Geo-Institute Case Histories Seminar was held on April 19, 2023, in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Zhang’s group gave multiple presentations in both podium and poster forms, covering a variety of topics on emerging techniques for geotechnical engineering. The podium and poster presentations include “Thermal Performance Analysis of Hollow Cellular Concrete Block Air Convection Embankment for Cold Regions,” by Dr. Hanli Wu, “Implementing the LWD for MoDOT Construction Acceptance of Unbound Material Layers,” by Mr. Chuanjun Liu, and “A Photogrammetry-based Method to Measure Volume Changing, Tilting and Eccentricity for Quality Control during Triaxial Test,” by Mr. Ahmad Gholizadeh.
2023 academic eventS
Dr. Hanli Wu was Invited to Serve as Faculty Judges & Oral Session Chair in 2023 MST Graduate Research Showcase
Dr. Hanli Wu was invited to service as Faculty Judges & Oral Session Chair in 2023 Graduate Research Showcase, Missouri S&T. The campus community was invited to attend the Graduate Research Showcase on Wednesday, April 12, on the second floor of the Havener Center.
This event was to support the efforts of Missouri S&T graduate students while learning about the innovative research. Graduate students presented their work in the form of posters and brief oral presentations in competition for awards in various categories. The poster session was held 10 a.m.-noon and the oral presentations was held 1-3 p.m. More information can be found here: https://grad.mst.edu/events/graduateresearchshowcase/
2023 academic eventS
Dr. Hanli Wu was Appointed as an Instructor for Course CE 3715
Dr. Hanli Wu was appointed as an instructor at MST to teach the course “CE3715 Fundamental of Geotechnical Engineering” in the Spring semester of 2023. The program is established to train outstanding MST young professionals as future professors.
Course Objective: The objective of the course “CE3715 Fundamental of Geotechnical Engineering” is to provide students with an introduction to theoretical and practical soil mechanics. Students shall acquire a knowledge of the physical properties of soils and their relevance to civil structures; be able to classify soils according to accepted classification systems; become familiar with commonly used methods of soil exploration; understand and apply the basic principles of steady seepage, consolidation, shear strength, and compaction; and understand existing laboratory test methods for evaluating basic soil properties.
Course Description (from catalog): Analysis of geotechnical systems including soil classification, index properties, permeability, compressibility, and shear strength. Basic geotechnical engineering design principles as they apply to civil constructed facilities, such as analysis of foundations and earth structures. Laboratory determination of the basic properties of soils.
2023 academic eventS
IACIP Best Poster Award Goes to Hanli Wu
Dr. Hanli Wu, a Research Associate, from the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at Missouri S&T, received the Second Place IACIP Best Poster Award, during the International Association of Chinese Infrastructure Professionals (IACIP) Students and Young Professionals Poster Contest at the 13th Annual IACIP Workshop (Virtual) on January 14th and 15th, 2023. Hanli Wu’s topic is “Thermal performance analysis of hollow cellular concrete block air convection embankment for cold regions.” More information can be found here: https://www.iacip.net/poster-session
Hanli’s advisors are Drs. Jenny Liu and Xiong Zhang.
2023 academic eventS
S&T Researchers Present at TRB
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) 102nd Annual Meeting was held on January 8-12, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Dr. Jenny Liu, Dr. Xiong Zhang, and their groups gave multiple presentations in both podium and poster forms, covering a variety of topics on innovative materials, advanced testing and modeling, and data analytics and emerging techniques for the sustainable and resilient transportation system. The podium and poster presentations include “Comprehensive Evaluation of Important Aspects of Triaxial Testing Using a Photogrammetry-Based Method,” “Evaluation of Thermal and Rheological Properties of Phase Change Material Incorporated Asphalt Mastic with Porous Fillers,” and “A Low-Cost Photogrammetric Method for Measuring and Tracking the Continuous 3D Full-Field Deformations o Geosynthetics During Tensile Tests.”
2022 academic eventS
ASCE Structural and Geo-confluence 2022
The St. Louis Geo-Institute Chapter launched the event in 2011 as GeoConfluence. The name was chosen to invoke the “coming together” of knowledge, ideas, and the geocommuity in the St. Louis region.
The conference was started in conjunction with the University of Missouri Graduate Student Organization, and has been hosted by the St. Louis Geo-Institute Chapter from 2011-2015. Attendance during those years was approximately 125 to 140 professionals and students.
Since 2016, the St. Louis Geo-Institute (G-I) has partnered with the St. Louis Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) to hold a larger joint conference, re-named Structural and Geo-Confluence. The joint conference is attended by approximately 200 professionals and students, with 20 exhibitors.
This full-day conference focuses on structural, geotechnical, and geo-environmental topics.
Dr. Xiong Zhang‘s research group participated in the Annual Structural and Geo-Confluence. The Conference was hosted by the St. Louis Chapters of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and Geo-Institute (GI), on November 2, 2022, at River City Casino, in St. Louis, MO, USA.
2022 academic eventS
Hanli Gave a Lecture on LTPP Database to S&T Graduate Students
Mr. Hanli Wu gave a lecture on Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program at 7:00 pm. Tuesday, April 19, in Room 213 Butler-Carlton Civil Engineering Hall. His talk focused on the use of the LTPP InfoPave Database on pavement performance verification, which is a part of the course CE5156 Pavement Design.
The Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program was established to collect pavement performance data as one of the major research areas of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). The first 5 years of the LTPP program were completed under the funding and direction of SHRP. Since 1991, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has continued the management and funding of the program. The LTPP program is managed by the Long-Term Pavement Performance Team (HRDI-30) under the Office of Infrastructure Research and Development.
The LTPP program is a large research project that includes two fundamental classes of studies and several smaller studies to investigate specific pavement related details that are critical to pavement performance. The fundamental classes of study are the General Pavement Study (GPS) and the Specific Pavement Studies (SPS). The combined GPS and SPS programs consist of over 2,500 test sections located on in-service highways throughout North America. The LTPP program will monitor and collect pavement performance data on all active sites. The collected data include information on seven modules: Inventory, Maintenance, Monitoring (Deflection, Distress, and Profile), Rehabilitation, Materials Testing, Traffic, and Climatic.
The LTPP Information Management System (IMS) is the central database where all the data collected under the LTPP program are stored. The LTPP IMS was established in 1988. This database is continuously being developed as more data are collected and processed. Four regional offices are established under the LTPP program to coordinate and communicate LTPP-related activities throughout the United States and Canada. More info can be found here: https://highways.dot.gov/research/long-term-infrastructure-performance/ltpp/long-term-pavement-performance
2022 academic eventS
Prakash Lecture on Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction
Dr. Edward Kavazanjian Jr. presented the Prakash Distinguished Lecture at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 14, in Room 125 Butler-Carlton Civil Engineering Hall. His talk focused on the role of desaturation in mitigating earthquake-induced soil liquefaction.
Kavazanjian is a Regents Professor and the Ira A. Fulton Professor of geotechnical engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. His expertise includes geotechnical engineering for civil infrastructure systems, design and construction of waste containment systems, geotechnical earthquake engineering, the mechanical properties of solid waste, and the emerging field of biogeotechnical engineering.
Dr. Edward Kavazanjian Jr., Pictured front center, with Dr. Xiong Zhang and Dr. Guney Olgun and several of their geotechnical engineering students.
The Shamser and Sally Prakash Lecture in Geotechnical Engineering was founded by Dr. Shamsher Prakash, who joined the S&T civil engineering department in 1978 as an associate professor in geotechnical engineering.
2022 academic eventS
IACIP Outstanding Graduate Student Award Goes to Hanli Wu
Hanli Wu, a Ph.D. student from the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at Missouri S&T, recently has been awarded the third place IACIP Outstanding Graduate Student Award by the International Association of Chinese Infrastructure Professionals (IACIP) for his outstanding academic performance. The award is funded by the IACIP with the purpose of encouraging graduate students to participate in research activities and pursue a future career in the general area of transportation infrastructure.
Hanli Wu’s advisors are Drs. Jenny Liu and Xiong Zhang.
2022 academic eventS
Grad Students Win Poster Contest at IACIP Annual Meeting
Ph.D. students, Hanli Wu and Anyou Zhu from the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at Missouri S&T, received the First Place and Second Place IACIP Best Poster Awards, respectively, during the International Association of Chinese Infrastructure Professionals (IACIP) Student Poster Contest at the 12th Annual IACIP Workshop (Virtual) on January 9th and 16th, 2022. Hanli Wu’s topic is “Impacts of lightweight aggregates ACEs on thermal performance in Alaska permafrost regions,” Anyou Zhu’s topic is “Feasibility Study on Foamed Fire-Resistant Coating Materials.” More information can be found here: https://www.iacip.net/poster-session
Hanli Wu’s advisors are Drs. Jenny Liu and Xiong Zhang. Anyou Zhu’s advisor is Dr. Jenny Liu.
2022 academic events
S&T Researchers Present at 101st TRB Annual Meeting
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) 101st Annual Meeting was held on January 9-13, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The meeting program covers all transportation modes, with more than 400 sessions and workshops, addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. Drs. Jenny Liu, Xiong Zhang, Xianbiao Hu, and their students participated in the event and presented their research at the annual meeting.
2021 academic eventS
Butler-Carlton Hall Visiting
Academy of Civil Engineers members and alumni visit Butler-Carlton Hall this afternoon and tour department labs and view demonstrations as part of Miner Fest. Dr. Jenny Liu‘s Ph.D. students Anyou Zhu and Chuanjun Liu explained the test principle and test equipment to the visitors.
Overheard on the tour: “Man, now I want to come back and take some more classes!” October 8, 2021.
2021 academic eventS
Geotechnical Group Conducted Field Tests in St. Louis, MO
Dr. Xiong Zhang‘s research group conducted field tests on June 3, 2021, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
2020 academic events
The UHPC Lightweight Composite Deck Structure Has Been Applied to the Hutong Yangtze River Bridge
The UHPC lightweight composite deck structure developed by Prof. Xudong Shao and his team in Hunan University has been successfully applied to the Hutong Yangtze River Bridge. The bridge was officially opened to traffic on July 1 and is the world’s first highway-rail dual-use bridge with a main span of over 1,000 meters.
Prof. Xudong Shao’s team successfully developed the steel-UHPC lightweight composite deck structure in 2010 and found a practical method for addressing the two major problems (i.e., fatigue cracking of steel bridge decks, and asphalt pavement damage) in the traditional steel deck systems. This achievement has been applied to more than 100 bridges (45 completed) in 25 provinces and cities in China, including the Hutong Yangtze River Bridge, the Dongting Lake Bridge (G56 Hangzhou–Ruili Expressway), the Haiwen Bridge and other major national projects.
The Hutong Yangtze River Bridge
The UHPC Lightweight Composite Deck Structures
2020 academic events
ASCE Geo-Congress 2020
Dr. Xiong Zhang‘s research group participated in the Geo-Congress 2020 and made presentation during the conference. The Conference was hosted on February 25-28, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. More information about the conference can be found here: https://www.geocongress.org/
2020 academic events
Missouri S&T ASCE Presents
Dr. Jean-Louis Briaud, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, DIST.M.ASCE. ASCE 2021 President, gave a presentation at MST titled”ASCE AND THE FUTURE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING” on February 5, 2020. Dr. Briaud discussed many recent ASCE initiatives and the future of civil engineering. This talk touched on the grand challenges we face as a society now and into the future – particularly in investing and maintaining our infrastructure to improve the quality of life in both the United States and worldwide.
2020 academic events
The 99th TRB Annual Meeting
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) 99th Annual Meeting was held January 12–16, 2020, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C. The information-packed program attracted more than 14,000 transportation professionals from around the world.
Ph.D. students and poster award recipients pose with Dr. Xiong Zhang, professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Missouri S&T. From left, Xingxing Zou, Hanli Wu, Dr. Xiong Zhang, Jun Liu and Sara Fayek.
S&T team gaveover 10 presentations covering a wide range of topics on transportation infrastructure at TRB. Drs. Jenny Liu, Xiong Zhang and their research groups’ presentations showcased their substantial effort on advancing innovative sustainable materials for transportation infrastructure use in cold regions. Some of examples included “Evaluation of Cracking Susceptibility of Alaskan Polymer Modified Asphalt Binders Using Chemical and Rheological Indices”, and “Characterizing Influence of Water Access Condition during Freezing on Resilient Behavior of Base Course Materials”.
Other presentations focused on advanced testing techniques for geo-material characterization, soil structure interaction, advanced application of geotextile and unsaturated soil behavior. These included “A Photogrammetry-Based Method to Determine the Absolute Volume of Soil Specimen during Triaxial Testing”, “Deep Learning Aided Target Recognition for Volume-Change Measurement of Unsaturated Soils”, “Pumping Mitigation in Pavement Shoulder Using Wicking Geotextile: An Experimental Study” and “A Modified State Surface Approach to Study the Unsaturated Soil Hysteresis Behavior”.
S&T researchers also demonstrated their expertise and leadership in other professional venues in conjunction with the TRB annual meeting. Dr. Jenny Liu presided the ASCE Bituminous Material Committee annual meeting. She also chaired the 10th International Association of Chinese Infrastructure Professionals (IACIP) workshop along with S&T researchers and students in organizing committee. Drs. Xianbiao Hu and Hongyan Ma served as the session chairs and poster reviewers for IACIP workshop. Dr. Genda Chen gave a keynote speech at IACIP workshop entitled “Empowering and Rejuvenating Civil Engineering Profession with Informatics, Automation and Actuation”.
2019 academic events
Commencement Speaker at Missouri S&T
Diane Murph, a graduate student supervised by Dr. Jenny Liu, was chosen as a commencement speaker at the Graduation Ceremony for Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) on December 14, 2019. Diane Murph was a graduate research assistant studying abrasion-resistant concrete designed for use in cold climates and membership chair for the Society of Women Engineers. After graduation from bachelor degree, Diane followed Dr. Jenny Liu to Missouri S&T to pursue her master’s degree. She was the sole graduate student speaker at the graduation ceremony. Congratulations Diane!
2019 academic events
Missouri S&T Distinguished Seminar Series
Dr. Baoshan Huang, IACIP vice-president and Edwin G. Burdette Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, gave a lecture titled “Diffusion and Uniformity of Recycled Asphalt in Pavements” at Missouri University of Science and Technology on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. The seminar was one of Distinguished Seminar Series of Center for Intelligent Transportation.
2019 academic events
S&T Faculty Research Award
Dr. Jenny Liu, from Missouri University of Science and Technology was honored with S&T Faculty Research Award in 2019 for excellence and achievement in research and service. The Faculty Research Award recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in research and scholarship. Awards are given based on the significance of the contributions of the individual in the preceding two years, as well as the long-term impact of the individual’s research.
2019 academic events
51th Annual Geotechnical Engineering Conference
Dr. Xiong Zhang‘s research group participated in the 51th Annual Geotechnical Engineering Conference at University of Kansas. The Conference was hosted on November 14, 2019, at University of Kansas Memorial Union, Lawrence, KS, USA.
2019 academic events
ASCE Structural and Geo-confluence 2019
Dr. Xiong Zhang‘s research group participated in the 4th Annual Structural and Geo-Confluence. The Conference was hosted by the St. Louis Chapters of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and Geo-Institute (GI), on November 8, 2019, at St. Charles Convention Center, in St. Charles, MO, USA. This full-day conference focuses on structural, geotechnical, and geo-environmental topics.
2019 academic events
SHMII-9 International Conference
IACIP Student Member, Hanli Wu, a Ph.D. student supervised by Drs. Jenny Liu and Xiong Zhang, made a poster presentation and two platform presentations at the 9th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure (SHMII-9). The two platform presentations titled “In Situ Experimental Study of FFT-based Bridge Weigh-in-motion System on a Continuous Box Girder Bridge” and “Improved Ground Penetrating Radar Data Processing Method for Railroad Ballast Inspection” were given at the conference. The SHMII-9 was hosted on August 4 to August 7, 2019, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. More information about the conference can be found here: https://shmii-9.mst.edu/.
Group photo prior to the opening ceremony
2019 academic events
ASCE Election Results: Briaud to Be 2020 President-Elect
Dr. Xiong Zhang’s Ph.D. advisor Dr. Jean-Louis Briaud has been elected ASCE’s 2020 president-elect by a majority of Society members and will advance to serve as 2021 president.
Briaud, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, Dist.M.ASCE, has taught at Texas A&M University since 1978, most recently as a distinguished professor since 2015. More information can be found here: https://news.asce.org/2020-asce-election-results-briaud-to-be-president-elect/
2019 academic events
National University Transportation Center Grant
Missouri S&T researchers will join a national consortium of universities focused on improving the durability and extending the lifespan of the nation’s transportation infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $15 million in grants in June to create two new national University Transportation Centers (UTCs) to advance research and education programs that address transportation challenges facing the nation. Missouri S&T will join the UTC led by Washington State University – the only center focused on the durability and lifespan of transportation infrastructure. Dr. Jenny Liu and Dr. Xiong Zhang at Missouri University of Science and Technology play key role in this newly established center, National Center for Infrastructure Durability and Life-Extension (TriDurLE).
“S&T will contribute to multiple research focuses such as multiscale monitoring, addressing corrosion and aging, addressing natural hazards and extreme events, and management of transportation infrastructure,” says Dr. Jenny Liu, professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Missouri S&T and the university’s lead faculty at the UTC. “The ultimate goal of the center is to enable a multimodal transportation infrastructure system with enhanced durability, extended service life, and better resilience. The work of this consortium will have a significant impact on the country’s infrastructure and the quality of life of its users.”
USDOT Announcement on June 5, 2019: https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-announces-selection-two-new-university-transportation
2019 academic events
The 7th Transportation Infrastructure Conference
Jun Liu, Hanli Wu, Diane Murph and Anyou Zhu, graduate students supervised by Dr. Jenny Liu, participated in the poster presentation at the 7th Transportation Infrastructure Conference. Keep up the good work! The 7th Transportation Infrastructure Conference was hosted by Missouri S&T and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) on April 22, 2019, Rolla, Missouri, USA. This year’s theme is sustainable and resilient transportation infrastructure. More information about the conference can be found here: https://cies.mst.edu/conference/.
2019 academic events
The 98th TRB Annual Meeting
Drs. Jenny Liu and Xiong Zhang‘s research group participated in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 98th Annual Meeting. The meeting was held January 13–17, 2019, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C. The information-packed program attracted more than 13,000 transportation professionals from around the world.
2018 academic events
50th Annual Geotechnical Engineering Conference
Dr. Xiong Zhang‘s research group participated in the 50th Annual Geotechnical Engineering Conference at University of Kansas. The Conference was hosted on November 8, 2018, at University of Kansas Memorial Union, Lawrence, KS, USA.