Hao Sun

Hao Sun is an Assistant Professor in CEE and Director of the Lab for Infrastructure Sensing and Data Science at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). He obtained his PhD and MPhil in Engineering Mechanics and MS in Civil Engineering from Columbia University, and his BS in Civil Engineering from Hohai University in China. Prior to joining Pitt, he was a Postdoc Associate at MIT. His research focuses on developing innovative methodologies to address safety, resilience and sustainability issues of the built environment, with specific interests in advanced sensing, big data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, system identification, uncertainty quantification and computational mechanics, for structure and infrastructure health management and resilience assessment. His work has been widely reported by various media coverage over 40 times in the past two years, including MIT News, Fox News, ASCE Civil Engineering Magazine, Science Daily, etc. He is the receipt of multiple awards, including the prestigious 2018 Forbes “30 Under 30”: Science, the 2017 Hewlett International Grant Award, two poster awards from EMI 2014, Boeing Fellowship, China National Scholarship, and many others.

  • (2018) Forbes “30 Under 30”: Science.
  • (2018) Sigma Xi Member, The Scientific Research Honor Society.
  • (2017) Hewlett International Grant.
  • (2015) Travel Award, the 13th U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics.
  • (2014) Runner Up Award and Second Place, the 2014 EMI Conference Student Poster Competition.
  • (2012) Boeing Fellowship.
  • (2010) Citation for Outstanding College Graduate, China Civil Engineering Society.
  • (2007) National Scholarship of China.

  • Ph.D., Columbia University, 2011 - 2014
  • M.Phil., Columbia University, 2011 - 2013
  • M.S., Columbia University, 2010 - 2011
  • B.S., Hohai University, 2006 - 2010

  • Sun, H., & Buyukozturk, O. (2018). The MIT Green Building benchmark problem for structural health monitoring of tall buildings. STRUCTURAL CONTROL & HEALTH MONITORING, 25(3).Hindawi. doi: 10.1002/stc.2115.
  • Mordret, A., Sun, H., Prieto, G.A., Toksöz, M.N., & Büyüköztürk, O. (2017). Continuous Monitoring of High‐Rise Buildings Using Seismic InterferometryContinuous Monitoring of High‐Rise Buildings Using Seismic Interferometry. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 107(6), 2759-2773.Seismological Society of America (SSA). doi: 10.1785/0120160282.
  • Sun, H., Mordret, A., Prieto, G.A., Toksöz, M.N., & Büyüköztürk, O. (2017). Bayesian characterization of buildings using seismic interferometry on ambient vibrations. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 85, 468-486.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.ymssp.2016.08.038.
  • Yan, G., Sun, H., & Büyüköztürk, O. (2017). Impact load identification for composite structures using Bayesian regularization and unscented Kalman filter. Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 24(5), e1910.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/stc.1910.
  • Sun, H., & Büyüköztürk, O. (2016). Probabilistic updating of building models using incomplete modal data. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 75, 27-40.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.ymssp.2015.12.024.
  • Sun, H., Waisman, H., & Betti, R. (2016). A sweeping window method for detection of flaws using an explicit dynamic XFEM and absorbing boundary layers. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 105(13), 1014-1040.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/nme.5006.
  • Zhang, H., Liu, Y., Sun, H., & Wu, S. (2016). Transient dynamic behavior of polypropylene fiber reinforced mortar under compressive impact loading. Construction and Building Materials, 111, 30-42.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.02.049.
  • Feng, D., Sun, H., & Feng, M.Q. (2015). Simultaneous identification of bridge structural parameters and vehicle loads. Computers & Structures, 157, 76-88.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.compstruc.2015.05.017.
  • Sun, H., & Betti, R. (2015). A Hybrid Optimization Algorithm with Bayesian Inference for Probabilistic Model Updating. Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 30(8), 602-619.Elsevier. doi: 10.1111/mice.12142.
  • Sun, H., & Büyüköztürk, O. (2015). Optimal sensor placement in structural health monitoring using discrete optimization. Smart Materials and Structures, 24(12), 125034.IOP Publishing. doi: 10.1088/0964-1726/24/12/125034.
  • Sun, H., & Büyüköztürk, O. (2015). Identification of traffic-induced nodal excitations of truss bridges through heterogeneous data fusion. Smart Materials and Structures, 24(7), 075032.IOP Publishing. doi: 10.1088/0964-1726/24/7/075032.
  • Sun, H., Feng, D., Liu, Y., & Feng, M.Q. (2015). Statistical Regularization for Identification of Structural Parameters and External Loadings Using State Space Models. Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 30(11), 843-858.Elsevier. doi: 10.1111/mice.12169.
  • Yan, G., Sun, H., & Waisman, H. (2015). A guided Bayesian inference approach for detection of multiple flaws in structures using the extended finite element method. Computers & Structures, 152, 27-44.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.compstruc.2015.02.010.
  • Sun, H., & Betti, R. (2014). Simultaneous identification of structural parameters and dynamic input with incomplete output‐only measurements. Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 21(6), 868-889.Hindawi. doi: 10.1002/stc.1619.
  • Sun, H., Waisman, H., & Betti, R. (2014). A multiscale flaw detection algorithm based on XFEM. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 100(7), 477-503.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/nme.4741.
  • Sun, H., Luş, H., & Betti, R. (2013). Identification of structural models using a modified Artificial Bee Colony algorithm. Computers & Structures, 116, 59-74.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.compstruc.2012.10.017.
  • Sun, H., Waisman, H., & Betti, R. (2013). Nondestructive identification of multiple flaws using XFEM and a topologically adapting artificial bee colony algorithm. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 95(10), 871-900.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/nme.4529.
  • Zhang, H., Liu, L., Dong, M., & Sun, H. (2013). Analysis of wind-induced vibration of fluid–structure interaction system for isolated aqueduct bridge. Engineering Structures, 46, 28-37.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.07.019.
  • Zhang, H., Sun, H., Liu, L., & Dong, M. (2013). Resonance mechanism of wind-induced isolated aqueduct–water coupling system. Engineering Structures, 57, 73-86.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2013.09.014.
headshot of Hao Sun
Contact Hao Sun
Adjunct Lecturer
haosun@pitt.edu
Work: 412-624-4399
Civil & Environmental Engr