Xiang Liu | Rutgers University, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Associate Professor

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Phone:	848-445-2868
Fax:	732-445-0577
Email:	xiang.liu@rutgers.edu
Office:	RWH 428D

Website: rail.rutgers.edu

Dr. Xiang Liu is an Associate Professor in Transportation Engineering at Rutgers University. Dr. Liu and his students are focusing on three research areas: 1) Smart Infrastructure – data-driven infrastructure asset management using sensing technologies and artificial intelligence; 2) Smart Mobility – optimal mechanism design for shared mobility and smart cities; and 3) Smart Logistics – freight railroads, autonomous trains, energy transportation and hazardous material transport risk management. Besides conducting methodological research rooted in stochastic modeling, risk analysis, and artificial intelligence, Dr. Liu aims to bring these methods to industry practice. To fulfill the big demand for educating railway engineers, he founded Rutgers’ first rail program (rail.rutgers.edu). Through this program, Dr. Liu’s group actively collaborates with freight and passenger rail agencies nationwide to implement cutting-edge technological and management solutions for rail safety improvement. Xiang received his Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Some of his dissertation research results have been used by the American railroad industry in development of several recent rail safety policies and practices.

Education

Ph.D. Transportation Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, December 2013
M.S. Transportation Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 2011
B.S. Transportation Engineering (Maritime and Port Operations), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, May 2008

Honors

Central NJ Researcher of the Year Award, 2018
A. Walter Tyson Assistant Professor Award, Rutgers School of Engineering, 2018
"Rising Star" Award, Progressive Railroading, 2018
Outstanding Paper Award, Transportation Research Board (TRB) Hazardous Materials Transportation (AT040) Committee, 2018
Educator of the Year Award, ASCE New Jersey, 2017
Outstanding Paper Award, Transportation Research Board (TRB) Hazardous Materials Transportation (AT040) Committee, 2017
Young Member Best Paper Award, Rail Operational Safety Committee (AR070), Transportation Research Board of U.S. National Research Council, 2017
Transportation Research Board (TRB) Hazardous Materials Transportation (AT040) Committee Outstanding Contribution Award, 2016
International Society for Risk Analysis Travel Grant for Attending the World Congress on Risk, 2015
Best Young Member Paper Award, Rail Operational Safety Committee (AR070), Transportation Research Board of U.S. National Research Council, 2014
American Society of Mechanical Engineers Rail Transportation Division Fall Technical Conference Scholarship, 2013
Society for Risk Analysis – Risk, Law & Policy Merit Award, 2013
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association Educational Foundation Scholarship, 2013
U.S. DOT Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, 2012

Professional Affiliations

Transportation Research Board (TRB) Railroad Operational Safety Committee
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

Research Interests

Smart Infrastructure – artificial intelligence and sensing technologies for infrastructure deterioration modeling and optimal management strategies to reduce life cycle cost
Smart Mobility – shared mobility, optimal service design, network modeling, emerging mobility technologies and solutions
Smart Logistics – freight railroads, autonomous trains, energy logistics, hazardous material transport, risk management

Selected Publications

Bian, Z.Y., Liu, X. (2019). Mechanism design for first-mile ridesharing based on personalized requirements part II: solution algorithm for large-scale problems. 120, 172-192.
Bian, Z.Y., Liu, X. (2019). Mechanism design for first-mile ridesharing based on personalized requirements part I: theoretical analysis in generalized scenarios. 120, 147-171.
Bian, Z.Y., Liu, X. (2018). A real time adjustment strategy for operational-level stochastic orienteering problem: a simulation-aided optimization approach. Transportation Research Part E, 115: 246–266.
Zhang, Z.P., Trivedi, C.B., Liu, X. (2018). Automated detection of grade-crossing-trespassing near misses based on computer vision analysis of surveillance video data. Safety Science, 110(B): 276-285.
Zaman, A., Liu, X., Zhang, Z.P. (2018). Video analytics for railroad safety research: an artificial intelligence approach. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 00(0): 1–9.
Wang, Y., Wang, P., Wang, X., Liu, X. (2018). Position synchronization for track geometry inspection data via big-data fusion and incremental learning. Transportation Research Part C, 93: 544-565.
Deng, J.Y., Liu, X., Jing, G.Q., Bian, Z.Y. (2018). Probabilistic risk analysis of flying ballast hazard on high-speed rail lines. Transportation Research Part C, 93: 396–409.
Ma, X.P., Dong. H.H., Li, P., Jia, L.M., Liu, X. (2018). A multi-service train-to-ground bandwidth allocation strategy based on game theory and particle swarm optimization. IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, 10(3): 68-79.
Ma, X.P., Dong, H.H., Jia, L.M., Liu, X., Xie, G., Bian, Z.Y. (2018). An optimal communications protocol for maximizing lifetime of railway infrastructure wireless monitoring network. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 14(8): 3347-3357.
Liu, X., Liu, C., Hong, Y.L. (2017). Analysis of multiple tank car releases in train accidents. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 107: 164–172.
Liu, X., Dick. C.T. (2016). Risk-based optimization of rail defect inspection frequency for petroleum crude oil transportation. Transportation Research Record 2545(1), 27-35.
Liu, X., Hong, Y. (2015). Modeling railroad tank car releases using a generalized binomial model. Accident Analysis and Prevention (in press).
Liu, X. (2015). Statistical temporal analysis of freight-train derailment rates in the United States: 2000 to 2012. Transportation Research Record (in press) (Best Young Member Paper Award by TRB Railroad Operational Committee)
Liu, X., Lovett, A., Dick, C.T., Saat, M.R., Barkan, C.P.L. (2014). Optimization of rail defect inspection frequency for the improvement of railway transportation safety and efficiency. Journal of Transportation Engineering 140(10).
Liu, X., Saat, M.R., Barkan, C.P.L. (2014). Probability analysis of multiple-tank-car release incidents in railway hazardous materials transportation. Journal of Hazardous Materials 276, 442-451.
Liu, X., Saat, M.R., Qin, X., Barkan, C.P.L. (2013). Analysis of U.S. freight-train derailment severity using zero-truncated negative binomial regression and quantile regression. Accident Analysis and Prevention 59: 87–93.
Liu, X., Saat, M.R., Barkan, C.P.L. (2013). Integrated risk reduction framework to improve railway hazardous materials transportation safety. Journal of Hazardous Materials 260: 131-140.
Liu, X., Saat, M.R., Barkan, C.P.L. (2013). Safety effectiveness of integrated risk reduction strategies for rail transport of hazardous materials. Transportation Research Board 2374: 102-110.
Liu, X., Saat, M.R., Barkan, C.P.L. (2012). Analysis of causes of major train derailment and their effect on accident rates. Transportation Research Record 2289: 154-163.
Liu, X., Barkan, C.P.L., Saat, M.R. (2011). Analysis of derailments by accident cause: evaluating railroad track upgrades to reduce transportation risk. Transportation Research Record 2261: 178-185.