Hongyan Liu

Teaching Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Hongyan Liu joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as an Associate Teaching Professor in Spring 2015 and was promoted to Full Teaching Professor in 2025. Prior to this appointment, she taught at University of Minnesota Duluth as the McKnight Visiting Assistant Professor.

Dr. Liu’s teaching interests are focused on engineering mechanics, structural analysis and design, and engineering materials. Her research background was mainly in structural engineering and earthquake engineering.

Dr. Liu currently serves as the Vice Chair of the ASCE SEI Chapter Engagement Committee, and ASCE SEI Colorado Section Secretary. She is passionate about student and industry engagement and founded the first Graduate Student Chapter of SEI in Colorado. She also actively promotes K-12 outreach in STEM education through her volunteer math tutoring program PlusMath for local kids.

Education

• PhD, Civil Engineering, Colorado State University
• MS, Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, China
• BS, Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, China

Selected Publications

• Z.Jin, S. Pei, X. Wei, H. Liu and S. Qiang (2016) “Partially earth-anchored cable bridge: Ultralong-span system suitable for carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic cables” Journal of Bridge Engineering 21, no. 6 (2016): 06016003
• Z. Jin, S. Pei, X. Li, H. Liu and S. Qiang (2016) “Effect of vertical ground motion on earthquake-induced derailment of railway vehicles over simply-supported bridges” Journal of Sound and Vibration 383(2016):277-294
• Z. Zhang, H. Li, H. Liu, G. Li and X. Shi (2014) “Load Transferring Mechanism of Pipe Umbrella Support in Shallow-buried Tunnels” Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 43(2014) 213-221.
• H. Liu, P. Zhao, C. Feng and R. Sharma (2013) “Cement-Sand Based Piezoelectric Smart Composites” Applied Mechanics and Materials, 392, 9
• S.Pei, J. W. van de Lindt, N. Wehbe and H. Liu. (2013) “Experimental Study of Collapse Limits for Wood Frame Shear Walls” ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, 139(9): 1489-1497.
• H.Liu and J.W. van de Lindt. (2011). Prescriptive Approach to the Performance-Based Seismic Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings. ASCE Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 25(4): 268-276.
• J.W. van de Lindt, H.Liu, M. D. Symans and J.K. Shinde. (2011). Seismic Performance and Modeling of a Half-Scale Base Isolated Wood Frame Building. Journal of Earthquake Engineering, 15(3): 469-490.
• J.W. van de Lindt, H. Liu and S. Pei (2007). Performance of a woodframe structure during full-scale shake table tests: Drift, damage, and effect of partition wall. ASCE Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 21(1), 35-43.