Dr Lulu Liu

Department of Civil Engineering
Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering

Contact details

Telephone: +44 0121 414 5079
Email: l.liu.11@bham.ac.uk

Address: School of Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Lulu Liu is interested in advancing fiber-polymer composites for structural engineering applications, focusing on their resistance, ductility, fatigue and durability at materials, joints and structural levels. Her research also explores the reuse of composites and the application of additive manufacturing in structural engineering.

Qualifications

PhD in Structural Engineering, 2021
MEng in Structural Engineering, 2016
BEng in Civil Engineering, 2013

Biography

Dr Lulu Liu joined the University of Birmingham in 2024 as an Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering. Before this appointment, she worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland from 2021 to 2024. Dr Liu received her PhD in Structural Engineering from Southeast University in China in 2021.

Dr Liu is interested in advancing fiber-polymer composites for structural engineering applications. She focuses on understanding the mechanical behavior of composite materials, joints, and structures, using both experimental and numerical methods to evaluate their resistance, ductility, fatigue, and durability. Additionally, she is exploring the potential for reusing composites and for the application of additive manufacturing in composite structures, including wind turbine blades and bridge decks.

Postgraduate supervision

PhD scholarships are available for candidates who are interested in fibre-polymer composite materials and structures.

Research

Dr Liu is focused on advancing fiber-polymer composites for structural engineering applications and her research interests include:

Reuse of Fiber-polymer Composite Materials and Structures
Additive Manufacturing Application in Composite Structures
Durability of Composite Materials and Structures
Fatigue Life Prediction
Fatigue-Creep-Temperature Interaction in Degradation
Resistance and Ductility of Boned, Bolted and Hybrid Joints

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Liu, L & Keller, T 2026, 'Durability of pultruded fibre-polymer composite structures under various environmental conditions over a period up to 25 years', Composite Structures, vol. 384, 120181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2026.120181

Liu, L, Maljaars, J & Keller, T 2025, 'Methodology for Calibrating Fatigue Load Models for Composite Road Bridges', Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.06.030

Liu, L, Keller, T & Movahedi-Rad, AV 2026, 'The effects of stress ratio and temperature on fatigue behavior of an epoxy adhesive', International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 205, 109401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2025.109401

Movahedi-Rad, AV, Liu, L & Keller, T 2024, 'A novel fatigue life prediction methodology based on energy dissipation in viscoelastic materials, synergistic effects of stress level, stress ratio, and temperature', International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 184, 108296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2024.108296

Liu, L, Wang, X, Wu, Z & Keller, T 2024, 'Tension-tension fatigue behavior of basalt composite hybrid joints', International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 184, 108318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2024.108318

Liu, Y, Liu, K, Liu, L & Zhou, F 2024, 'Theoretical and experimental investigation of flexible air spring stiffness in a tuned liquid column gas damper for vertical vibration control', Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 98, 110958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110958

Liu, L, Wang, X, Wu, Z & Keller, T 2023, 'Effect of fiber architecture on tension–tension fatigue behavior of bolted basalt composite joints', Engineering Structures, vol. 286, 116089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.116089

Liu, K, Shi, Q, Liu, Y, Liu, L & Zhou, F 2023, 'Investigation of an improved tuned liquid column gas damper for the vertical vibration control', Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 196, 110340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2023.110340

Liu, K, Liu, L, Zhu, Q, Liu, Y & Zhou, F 2021, 'Dynamic testing and numerical simulation of human-induced vibration of cantilevered floor with tuned mass dampers', Structures, vol. 34, pp. 1475-1488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2021.08.079

Ding, L, Liu, L, Wang, X, Shen, H & Wu, Z 2021, 'Effects of connecting materials on the static and fatigue behavior of pultruded basalt fiber-reinforced polymer bolted joints', Construction and Building Materials, vol. 273, 121683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121683

Liu, C, Wang, X, Shi, J, Liu, L & Wu, Z 2021, 'Experimental study on the flexural behavior of RC beams strengthened with prestressed BFRP laminates', Engineering Structures, vol. 233, 111801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111801

Liu, L, Wang, X, Wu, Z & Keller, T 2021, 'Resistance and ductility of FRP composite hybrid joints', Composite Structures, vol. 255, 113001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.113001

Liu, L, Wang, X, Wu, Z & Keller, T 2021, 'Tension-tension fatigue behavior of ductile adhesively-bonded FRP joints', Composite Structures, vol. 268, 113925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2021.113925

Liu, L, Wang, X, Wu, Z & Keller, T 2020, 'Optimization of multi-directional fiber architecture for resistance and ductility of bolted FRP profile joints', Composite Structures, vol. 248, 112535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112535

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