Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Washington State University National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension (TriDurLE)

A Constructor of Success

How Jun Liu views his journey

 

When Jun Liu was a young boy in China, he was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. His answer was always clear and straightforward, “I want to be a constructor, so that I can build a big house for my parents.” Jun says this is one of the reasons he chose civil engineering as a field of study.

After earning an MS degree from Hunan University in China, Jun attended Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2017, where he earned his PhD degree in civil engineering in May 2021. For his PhD dissertation, “Characterization of Alaskan Highly Modified Asphalt Binders and Mixtures,” Jun evaluated the performance of various highly modified asphalt binders and mixes used in cold regions. He also investigated the feasibility of some innovative evaluation parameters and tests to highly modified asphalt binders and assessed the chemical properties and morphology of highly modified asphalt binders.

“My research is focused on the use of multi scale characterization methods to study innovative bituminous materials chemically and mechanically,” says Jun. “My PhD supervisor, Dr. Jenny Liu, has been influential in my life and helped me understand that there are no secrets to success,” says Jun. “It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

Jun also credits his wife of three years for her support. “There is a saying in China, ‘Every wife is a king make,’” says Jun. “She has the power to build him up or tear him down. I am so glad that Weicheng is the one who built me up. I could not achieve my PhD degree without her support and encouragement.”

Jun has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards during his academic career, including:

  • CEC Dean’s PhD Scholar Award, Missouri S&T, 2021
  • First Place in the Waheed Uddin Outstanding Graduate Student, 2021
  • First Place in IACIP Outstanding Graduate Student Award, 2021
  • Third Prize in Students Poster Competition of IACIP workshop, 2020
  • Wang, Binggang Graduate Award, 2019
  • First Prize Scholarship of Hunan University, 2017
  • Second Prize Graduate Scholarship of Hunan University, 2016
  • Second Prize Graduate Scholarship of Hunan University, 2015

Jun is now a research associate at Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) at Louisiana State University, where he is working on a way to establish a reliable moisture-susceptibility test procedure to evaluate consistently the resistance of asphalt mixtures against moisture-induced damage.

“For the future plans, I want to further my research to better understand asphaltic materials for better, safer, and more cost-effective pavement infrastructure,” says Jun. “My short-term goals are publishing more papers and leading/taking participate in more projects. Before I become an independent PI, I hope I can develop more skills on proposals writing and projects management through the post-doctoral professional training.

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

1.     Murph, D., Liu, J., and Liu, J. (2021). Mix designs of abrasion resistant and durable concrete made with SCMs for cold climates. ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part B: Pavement Engineering (Under Review)
2.     Liu, J., and Liu, J., and Wang, Y. (2021). Implementation of linear amplitude sweep test to evaluate fatigue resistance of highly polymerized asphalt binders. ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering (Under Review)
3.     Liu, J., Liu, J., and Hao, G. (2021). Characterization of Alaskan highly polymerized asphalt binders. ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part B: Pavement Engineering 147(4), 04021047
4.     Liu, J., Liu, J., and Saboundjian, S. (2021). Evaluation of cracking susceptibility of Alaskan polymer modified asphalt binders using chemical and rheological indices. Construction and Building Materials. 271(2), 121897.
5.     Liu, J., Liu, J., and Hao, G. (2021). Chemical Aging Indexes and Rheological Parameters for Cracking Susceptibility Evaluation of Alaskan Polymer–Modified Asphalt Binders. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 33(3), 04021009.
6.     Liu, J., Liu, J., Zhu, A., and Saboundjian, S. (2020). Evaluation of multiple stress creep recovery test on Alaskan asphalt binders. ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. 32(10), 04020302.
7.     Liu, J., Yan, K., Liu, W., & Zhao, X. (2020). Partially replacing styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) with other asphalt binder modifier: Feasibility study. Construction and Building Materials, 249, 118752.
8.     Yan, K., Tian, S., Chen, J., and Liu, J. (2020). High temperature rheological properties of APAO and EVA compound modified asphalt. Construction and Building Materials, 233, 117246.
9.     Liu, J., Yan, K., Liu, J. and Guo, D. (2019) Evaluation of the characteristics of Trinidad lake asphalt and styrene–butadiene–rubber compound modified binder. Construction and Building Materials, 202, 614–621.
10.  Liu, J., Yan, K. and Liu, J., (2018). Rheological characteristic of polyphosphoric acid modified asphalt mastic. ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.
Liu, J., Yan, K. and Liu, J., (2018). Using artificial neural networks to predict the dynamic modulus of asphalt mixtures containing recycled asphalt shingles. ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering 30(4): 04018051.
12.  Liu, J., Yan, K. and Liu, J., (2018). Rheological properties of warm mix asphalt binders and warm mix asphalt binders containing polyphosphoric acid [J]. International Journal of Pavement Research & Technology, 11(5), 481-487.
13.  Yang, P., and Liu, J. (2018). Rheological properties of Deurex – modified WMA binder containing SBS. Petroleum Science and Technology, 1-7.
14.  Liu, J., Yan, K., You, L., and Liu, P. (2017). Prediction models of mixtures’ dynamic modulus using gene expression programming. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 1-10.
15.  You, L., Yan, K., Hu, Y., Liu, J., and Ge, D. (2017). Spectral element method for dynamic response of transversely isotropic asphalt pavement under impact load. Road Materials & Pavement Design, 1-16.
16.  Liu, J., Yan, K., You, L., Ge, D., and Wang, Z. (2016). Laboratory performance of warm mix asphalt binder containing polyphosphoric acid. Construction & Building Materials, 106, 218-227.
17.  Liu, J., Yan, K., and Zhao, X. (2016). Rheological and aging properties of warm mix asphalt binders containing expanded vermiculite. Petroleum Science & Technology, 34(11-12), 1042-1047.
18.  Liu, J., Yan, K., Zhao, X., and Hu, Y. (2016). Prediction of autogenous shrinkage of concretes by support vector machine. International Journal of Pavement Research & Technology, 9(3), 169-177.

Peer-Reviewed Conference Publications

  1. Liu, J., Liu, J., and Saboundjian, S. (2020). Evaluation of cracking susceptibility of Alaskan polymer modified asphalt binders using chemical and rheological indices. 99TH Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.
  2. Liu, J., Yan, K., and Zhao, X. Predicting the dynamic modulus of asphalt mixtures containing recycled asphalt shingles using artificial neural networks. Proceeding of the 2016 International Conference on Transportation Infrastructure and Materials, Xian, China.

Technical Report

  1. Liu, J., & Liu, J. (2019). Laboratory and field evaluation of modified asphalt binders and mixes for Alaskan pavements. Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, Juneau, AK.

Presentations

  1. (Poster) Liu, J., Liu, J., and Saboundjian, S. Evaluation of cracking susceptibility of Alaskan polymer modified asphalt binders using chemical and rheological indices. 2020. 99TH Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.
  2. (Poster) Liu, J. and Liu, J. Rheological characteristic of polyphosphoric acid modified asphalt mastic. 2017 Industry Day, Missouri S&T.
  3. (Poster) Liu, J. and Liu, J. Rheological properties of warm mix asphalt binders and warm mix asphalt binders containing polyphosphoric acid. 2017 Transportation Infrastructure Conference, Missouri S&T.

Projects Participation

“Chemical Analysis of Highly Modified Asphalt Binders”, Advanced Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure (AMSI) Signature Area Funding 2018, $13,456.</
“Laboratory and Field Evaluation of Modified Asphalt Binder in Alaskan Pavements”, AKDOT&PF, Emulsion Products, and CESTiCC, 2017-2018, $271,010.
“Development of Holistic Methodologies for Improving Asphalt Mix Durability”, University Transportation Center (UTC) funds.
“Snow and Ice Treatment Products Evaluation”, Missouri Department of Transportation, $100,000.

Professional Services

1.     Young Committee Member, International Association of Chinese Infrastructure Professionals (IACIP)
2.     Student Member, American Society of Civil Engineers
3.     Student Member, IACIP
4.     Student Member, Organizing Committee of the 10th IACIP Annual Workshop Program
5.     Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
6.     Reviewer, Journal of Construction and Building Materials
7.     Reviewer, International Journal of Pavement Research & Technology
8.     Reviewer, The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering
9.     Reviewer, Cold Regions Science and Technology