Education

Academic Degrees

• Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• B.Eng. Zhejiang University

Certifications

• Ph.D.

Honors and Awards

UNL College of Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Activity Award. 2022

ACI-James Instruments Research Award on NDT of Concrete, 2020 (awarded to student Bibo Zhong)
ACI-James Instruments Research Award on NDT of Concrete, 2018 (awarded to student Sepehr Pashoutani)
University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering Henry Y. Kleinkauf Family Distinguished New Faculty Teaching Award, 2017
ASNT Fellowship Award, The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, 2012
ACI-James Instruments Research Award on NDT of Concrete, 2012 (awarded to student Xiaowei Dai)
ACI-James Instruments Research Award on NDT of Concrete, 2011 (awarded to student Seong-Hoon Kee)
ASCE Excellence in Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Teaching Fellows, 2008
Mavis Memorial Scholarship, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004
ACI-James Instruments Research Award on NDT of Concrete, 2003

Funding

Current Projects

• Dual External Leak Sensing and Monitoring for Dry Storage Canister.  Sponsor:  DOE Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), 10/1/2021-9/30/2024, PI (Co-PI: Fadi Alsleem). 
• Ultrasonic Monitoring of State of Charge and Health of Lithium-Ion Batteries.  Sponsor:  NU Collaboration Initiative grant, 7/1/2021-6/30/2022, PI (Co-PI: Congrui Jin, Xiaoyue Cheng).
• Nonlinear Ultrasound Assessment of Bone Fracture and Healing. Sponsor: CHRI pilot grant, 1/2021-12/2021, Co-PI, (PI: Dr. Matt Halanski at UNMC).
• Nondestructive Diagnosis and Probabilistic Prognosis of Aging Plastic Pipe. USDOT, Pipeline Safety Research Competitive Academic Agreement Program. 9/1/2020-8/31/2023. PI.
• MRI: Acquisition of an X-Ray Computed Tomography System at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for Advancing Multidisciplinary Research and Education in the Great Plains Region. National Science Foundation. Co-PI (PI: Joseph A Turner). 9/1/2019-8/31/2022.

 Completed Projects

• Online Monitoring System for Concrete Structures Affected by Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR). Sponsor:  DOE Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), 10/1/2016-9/30/2019, PI, $800,000.
   
• Field Demonstration of GPR and UAV Technologies for Evaluation of Two US 75/77 Bridges. Sponsor: Nebraska Department of Roads, 7/1/2017 - 12/31/2018, $159,583
• STTR: Non-Destructive Concrete Interrogator and Strength of Materials, DoD Navy SSTR/ Karagozian & Case Inc, 2018, PI.
• 3D Data Fusion and Visualization for Bridge Deck Evaluation Using Multi-Sensor NDE Techniques, University of Nebraska Collaboration Initiative/System Science Seed Grant, 7/2018-6/2020, PI. 
• Inspection of Steel-Concrete Component, The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), 10/2017-7/2018, PI.
   
• Development of a Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Tool for in-Situ Assessment of Prestressed Components, Sponsor: Nebraska Department of Roads, 7/1/2017 - 12/31/2018, PI , $79,880
   
• Development and Implementation of a Moving Nondestructive Evaluation Platform for Bridge Deck Inspection, Sponsor: Nebraska Department of Roads, 7/1/2017 - 12/31/2018, PI , $159,583
   
• Graphene Acoustic Transducers for Noncontact Evaluation of Materials. Sponsor: UNL Research Council Interdisciplinary Grant, Co-PI, $20,000
   
• Condition Assessment of Bridge Decks with Asphalt Overlay. Sponsor: Nebraska Department of Roads, 7/1/2016 - 12/31/2017, PI (Co-PI: Richard Wood), $106,178
• Automated Chain Drag Testing. Sponsor: Nebraska Department of Roads, 7/1/2015 - 12/31/2016, PI, $96,871
• High Speed Non-Contact NDT of Rail Tracks Using an Innovative Spark Ultrasonic Source and Air-Coupled Transducers. Research Council Faculty Seed Grant, University of Nebraska, 1/1/ - 12/31/2015, PI, $10,000.
• Field demonstration of concrete crawler with NDE Device and Mapping System, The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), 6/2012-8/2014, PI.
• ASNT Fellowship Award: Analysis and Development of a Focused Spark Source for Air-Coupled Ultrasonic NDT, American Society of Non-destructive Testing (ASNT) Fellowship Award, 7/1/2012-8/31/2014, PI, $ 15,000.
• Investigation of Alternative Supplementary Cementing Materials (SCMs), Texas Department of Transportation 9/1/2011-8/31/2014, Co-PI, $495,000.
• Development of air-coupled sensing technology for rapid evaluation of bridge decks. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Innovation Program (TIP). Subaward through Rutgers University. PI, $325,000 (plus $325,000 matching fund), 10/6/2010-1/31/2014.
• Non-Destructive Evaluation of In-Service Concrete Structures Affected by Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) or Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF), Texas Department of Transportation, 9/1/2009-8/31/2012, Co-PI, $997,998

Selected Publications

• H Sun, J Zhu. (2020) Determination of acoustic nonlinearity parameters using thermal modulation of ultrasonic waves. Applied Physics Letters 116 (24), 241901 [Link]
• Sun H, Zhu J. (2019) Thermal modulation of nonlinear ultrasonic wave for concrete damage evaluation. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 145(5):EL405-9. [Link]
• Sun, H., & Zhu, J. (2020). Nondestructive evaluation of steel-concrete composite structure using high-frequency ultrasonic guided wave. Ultrasonics, 103, 106096. [Link]
• Pashoutani, S., & Zhu, J. (2020). Ground Penetrating Radar Data Processing for Concrete Bridge Deck Evaluation. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 25(7), 04020030. [Link]
• Sun, H., Pashoutani, S., & Zhu, J. (2018). Nondestructive Evaluation of Concrete Bridge Decks with Automated Acoustic Scanning System and Ground Penetrating Radar. Sensors, 18(6), 1955. [Link][PDF]
• Sun, H., Zhu, J., & Ham, S. (2018). Automated Acoustic Scanning System for Delamination Detection in Concrete Bridge Decks. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 23(6), 04018027[Link]
• Sun, H., Zhu, J., “Monitoring early age properties of cementitious material using ultrasonic guided waves in embedded rebar,” Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation   36:5(2017): 1-12.
• Liu, S., Bundur Z. B., Zhu, J., and Ferron, R., “Evaluation of self-healing of internal cracks in biomimetic mortar using coda wave interferometry”, Cement and Concrete Research, Vol. 83, 70-78, May 2016.
• Zhang, J., Chen, L., and Zhu, J., “Theoretical basis and numerical simulation of parallel seismic test for existing piles using flexural wave,” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 84, 13-21, May 2016.
• Liu, S., Zhu, J., and Wu, Z. "Implementation of Coda Wave Interferometry Using Taylor Series Expansion." Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation 34.3 (2015): 1-6.
• Liu, S., Zhu, J., Seraj, S., Cano, R., and Juenger, M. “Monitoring setting and hardening process of mortar and concrete using ultrasonic shear waves.” Construction and Building Materials, 72, 248–255, 2014
• Remillieux, M. C., Anderson, B. E., Ulrich, T. J., Le Bas, P. Y., Haberman, M.R., and  Zhu, J.,  “Review of Air-Coupled Transduction for nondestructive Testing and evaluation,” Acoustics Today August 2014; 10(3):36-45. (Invited review paper)
• Kee, S.H., and Zhu, J., “Surface wave transmission across a partially closed surface-breaking crack in concrete”, ACI Materials Journal, Vol.104, No.1, 35-46, January, 2014.
• Dai, X., Zhu, J., and Haberman M., “A focused electric spark source for non-contact stress wave excitation in solids,” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 134, EL513, 2013. 
• Tsai, Y.T., Haberman M., and Zhu, J., “Transient solution for waves focused by a parabolic reflector”,  Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 133, No.4, 2025-2035, April, 2013.
• Oh, T., Kee, S.H., Arndt, R., Popovics, J.S, and Zhu, J., “Comparison of NDT methods for assessment of a concrete bridge deck,” ASCE Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 139, No. 3, March 1, 2013.
• Kee, S.H., Oh, T., Popovics, J.S., Arndt, R., Zhu, J., “Nondestructive bridge deck testing with air-coupled impact-echo and infrared thermography”, ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering, Vol. 17, No. 6, 928-939, November  2012.
• Tsai, Y.T., and Zhu, J., “Simulation and experiments of airborne zero-group-velocity Lamb waves in concrete plate”, Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation, Vol. 31, No. 4, 373-382, December 2012.
• Zhang, Y., Wei X., Tsai, Y-T, Zhu, J., Fetrat, F.A., and Gucunski, N., “Multisensor data fusion for impact-echo testing of concrete structures,” Smart Materials and Structures, Vol. 21, No. 7, 075021 (7pp), June 2012.
• Zhu, J., Tsai, Y-T, Kee, S.H., “Monitoring early age property of cement and concrete using piezoceramic bender elements,” Smart Materials and Structures, Vol. 20, No. 11, 115014 (7pp), October 2011.
• Kee, S.H., Fernández-Gómez, E., and Zhu, J., “Evaluating surface-breaking cracks in concrete using air-coupled sensors”, ACI Materials Journal, Vol. 108, No. 5, 558-565, September-October 2011.
• Dai, X., Zhu, J., Haberman M., and Tsai, Y-T, “Use of parabolic reflector to amplify in-air signals generated during Impact-Echo testing,” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 130, No. 4, EL167-EL172 (6 pages), September 2011. 
• Kee, S.H., and Zhu, J., "Surface wave transmission measurements across distributed surface-breaking cracks using air-coupled sensors." Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 330, 5333–5344, 2011.
• Zhu, J., Kee, S.H., Han, D., & Tsai, Y.-T., “Effects of air voids on ultrasonic wave propagation in early age cement pastes,” Cement and Concrete Research, Vol. 41, No. 8, 872-881, August 2011.
• Kee, S.H. and Zhu, J., “Effects of sensor locations on air-coupled surface wave transmission measurements across a surface-breaking crack,” IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, Vol. 58, No. 2, 427 – 436, February 2011.
• Yuan, J., Zhu, J., and Kim, C.Y., “Comparison of SASW and MASW Methods using MSOR Approach – A Case Study,”, International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 233-238, April, 2014.
• Kee, S.H., and Zhu, J., “Using low cost piezoelectric sensors for ultrasonic pulse velocity measurement in concrete,” Smart Materials and Structures, 22, 115016 (11pp), October, 2013.