Dr. Mingu Kang has devoted his career to civil engineering research with a specialization in Transportation geotechnics. His research interests are aligned with transportation/geotechnical engineering research focused on smart and resilient transportation infrastructure foundations using geosynthetics and innovative sensors.
In his doctoral research, he focused on the development and application of a new field sensor capable of accurately estimating soil and unbound aggregate layers stiffness, and the quantification of the effect of geogrid stabilization using sensors. The sensors have been successfully deployed at multiple pavement test sites operated by various government organizations, i.e., USACE, FAA, FHWA, and the multiple state Department of Transportation.
Mingu has received multiple research awards during his PhD years from professional organizations, including the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), and FAA. Before stepping into academia, he fortified his expertise at a geotechnical engineering firm in South Korea, collaborating with several notable agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Courses taught at St. Thomas:
- ENGR 463 Soil Mechanics & Foundations
- ENGR 466 Transportation Engineering
Han Wang, Mingu Kang, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Mark H. Wayne and Heather Shoup (2023). Evaluation of Open-graded Aggregates Stabilized with a Multi-axial Geogrid Using a Large-scale Triaxial Test Setup, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231161351
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Younes Haddani, and Adam Bankston (2023). Degraded Ballast Stiffness Characterization Using Bender Element Field Sensor and PANDA Penetrometer, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2677, No. 8, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231156936
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Navneet Garg, Wilfredo Villafane, and Scott Murrell (2023). Evaluation of Airport Pavement Base Layer Stiffness Characteristics via Embedded Field Sensors, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2677, No. 8, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231156938
William Jeremy Robinson, Jeb S. Tingle, Erol Tutumluer, Mingu Kang, Mark H. Wayne, and Prajwol Tamrakar (2023). Using Bender Elements to Investigate the Effect of a Multi-axial Geogrid on Aggregate Layer Stiffness, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231152465
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Wilfredo Villafane, Navneet Garg, and Scott Murrell (2023). Embedded Coil Sensors to Investigate the Deformation Behavior of Airfield Pavement Unbound Aggregate Base Courses, International Airfield and Highway Pavements 2023, Austin, Texas, pp. 329-339.
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, and Mark H. Wayne (2023). Local Stiffness Enhancement by Multi-axial Geogrid Stabilization evaluated through Shear Wave Measurement, Geosynthetics 2023, Kansas City, MO, USA, pp. 336-347.
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Navneet Garg, and Wilfredo Villafane (2023). Effectiveness of geogrid stabilization of airfield pavements investigated using embedded sensors, 12th International Conference on Geosynthetics, Roma, Italy
Mingu Kang Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Navneet Garg and Wilfredo Villafane (2022). Airport Pavement Stiffness Monitoring and Assessment of Mechanical Stabilization using Bender Element Field Sensor, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol.2676, No.8, pp. 542-553.
Zhongyi Liu, Mingu Kang, Issam Qamhia, Kelin Ding, Han Wang, Haohang Huang, Erol Tutumluer, and Jeb S. Tingle (2022). Laboratory Characterization of Foundation Geomaterials for a Smart Runway Pavement Test Section, Geo-Congress 2022, Charlotte, NC, USA, pp. 431-441.
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, and Erol Tutumluer (2022). Modulus properties of granular materials at various strain levels from repeated load triaxial testing with bender elements, Geo-Congress 2022, Charlotte, NC, USA, pp. 420-430.
Mingu Kang, Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Han Wang, and Jeb S. Tingle (2022). Quantification of the geogrid-aggregate stiffened zone using bender element field sensors, 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Sydney, Australia.
Mingu Kang, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Won-Taek Hong and Jeb Tingle (2021). Bender Element Field Sensor for the Measurement of Pavement Base and Subbase Stiffness Characteristics, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol.2675, No.8, pp. 394-407.
Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Zhongyi Liu, Mingu Kang, Omar A. V. Avellan and Alejandro A. Reyes (2021). Testing and Characterization of Dolomite Aggregate for Suitability and Use in Ballasted Track in Mexico's Maya Train Project, Proceedings of the 2021 AREMA Conference.
Mingu Kang, Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Han Wang and Jeb S. Tingle (2021). Geogrid Stabilization of Aggregates Evaluated via Local Stiffness Assessment, International Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference 2021, pp. 234-245.
Mingu Kang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer. Won-Taek Honr, Jesse D. Doyle, Harold T. Carr, Wayne D. Hodo, Ben C. Cox and Jeb S. Tingle (2021). Bender Element Field Sensors for Base Course Stiffness Measurements in Airport Pavements, 4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics, Advances in Transportation Geotechnics IV, pp. 703-715.
Mingu Kang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer. Murphy Flynn, Navneet Garg and Wilfredo Villafane (2021). Near geogrid stiffness quantification in airport pavement base layers using bender element field sensor, 4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics, Advances in Transportation Geotechnics IV, pp.861-876.
Mingu Kang, Joon Han Kim, Issam I.A. Qamhia and Erol Tutumluer (2020). Geogrid Stabilization of Unbound Aggregates Evaluated Through Bender Element Shear Wave Measurement in Repeated Load Triaxial Testing, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol.2674, No.3, pp. 113-125.
Joon Han Kim, Mingu Kang, Yong-Hoon Byun, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer and Mark H. Wayne (2020). Bender Element Shear Wave Measurement Based Local Stiffness Characteristics Related to Permanent Deformation Behavior of Geogrid-Stabilized Aggregate Specimens, Geo-Congress 2020, Minneapolis, MN, pp. 517-526.
Mingu Kang and Jong-Sub Lee (2015). Evaluation of the freezing-thawing effect in sand-silt mixtures using elastic waves and electrical resistivity, Cold Regions Science and Technology, Elsevier, Vol.113, pp.1-11.
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Younes Haddani, and Adam Bankston (2023). Degraded Ballast Stiffness Characterization Using Bender Element Field Sensor and PANDA Penetrometer, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2677, No. 8, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231156936
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Navneet Garg, Wilfredo Villafane, and Scott Murrell (2023). Evaluation of Airport Pavement Base Layer Stiffness Characteristics via Embedded Field Sensors, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2677, No. 8, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231156938
William Jeremy Robinson, Jeb S. Tingle, Erol Tutumluer, Mingu Kang, Mark H. Wayne, and Prajwol Tamrakar (2023). Using Bender Elements to Investigate the Effect of a Multi-axial Geogrid on Aggregate Layer Stiffness, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231152465
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Wilfredo Villafane, Navneet Garg, and Scott Murrell (2023). Embedded Coil Sensors to Investigate the Deformation Behavior of Airfield Pavement Unbound Aggregate Base Courses, International Airfield and Highway Pavements 2023, Austin, Texas, pp. 329-339.
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, and Mark H. Wayne (2023). Local Stiffness Enhancement by Multi-axial Geogrid Stabilization evaluated through Shear Wave Measurement, Geosynthetics 2023, Kansas City, MO, USA, pp. 336-347.
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Navneet Garg, and Wilfredo Villafane (2023). Effectiveness of geogrid stabilization of airfield pavements investigated using embedded sensors, 12th International Conference on Geosynthetics, Roma, Italy
Mingu Kang Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Navneet Garg and Wilfredo Villafane (2022). Airport Pavement Stiffness Monitoring and Assessment of Mechanical Stabilization using Bender Element Field Sensor, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol.2676, No.8, pp. 542-553.
Zhongyi Liu, Mingu Kang, Issam Qamhia, Kelin Ding, Han Wang, Haohang Huang, Erol Tutumluer, and Jeb S. Tingle (2022). Laboratory Characterization of Foundation Geomaterials for a Smart Runway Pavement Test Section, Geo-Congress 2022, Charlotte, NC, USA, pp. 431-441.
Mingu Kang, Han Wang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, and Erol Tutumluer (2022). Modulus properties of granular materials at various strain levels from repeated load triaxial testing with bender elements, Geo-Congress 2022, Charlotte, NC, USA, pp. 420-430.
Mingu Kang, Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Han Wang, and Jeb S. Tingle (2022). Quantification of the geogrid-aggregate stiffened zone using bender element field sensors, 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Sydney, Australia.
Mingu Kang, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer, Won-Taek Hong and Jeb Tingle (2021). Bender Element Field Sensor for the Measurement of Pavement Base and Subbase Stiffness Characteristics, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol.2675, No.8, pp. 394-407.
Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Zhongyi Liu, Mingu Kang, Omar A. V. Avellan and Alejandro A. Reyes (2021). Testing and Characterization of Dolomite Aggregate for Suitability and Use in Ballasted Track in Mexico's Maya Train Project, Proceedings of the 2021 AREMA Conference.
Mingu Kang, Erol Tutumluer, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Han Wang and Jeb S. Tingle (2021). Geogrid Stabilization of Aggregates Evaluated via Local Stiffness Assessment, International Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference 2021, pp. 234-245.
Mingu Kang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer. Won-Taek Honr, Jesse D. Doyle, Harold T. Carr, Wayne D. Hodo, Ben C. Cox and Jeb S. Tingle (2021). Bender Element Field Sensors for Base Course Stiffness Measurements in Airport Pavements, 4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics, Advances in Transportation Geotechnics IV, pp. 703-715.
Mingu Kang, Issam I. A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer. Murphy Flynn, Navneet Garg and Wilfredo Villafane (2021). Near geogrid stiffness quantification in airport pavement base layers using bender element field sensor, 4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics, Advances in Transportation Geotechnics IV, pp.861-876.
Mingu Kang, Joon Han Kim, Issam I.A. Qamhia and Erol Tutumluer (2020). Geogrid Stabilization of Unbound Aggregates Evaluated Through Bender Element Shear Wave Measurement in Repeated Load Triaxial Testing, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol.2674, No.3, pp. 113-125.
Joon Han Kim, Mingu Kang, Yong-Hoon Byun, Issam I.A. Qamhia, Erol Tutumluer and Mark H. Wayne (2020). Bender Element Shear Wave Measurement Based Local Stiffness Characteristics Related to Permanent Deformation Behavior of Geogrid-Stabilized Aggregate Specimens, Geo-Congress 2020, Minneapolis, MN, pp. 517-526.
Mingu Kang and Jong-Sub Lee (2015). Evaluation of the freezing-thawing effect in sand-silt mixtures using elastic waves and electrical resistivity, Cold Regions Science and Technology, Elsevier, Vol.113, pp.1-11.