Runing Zhang

Runing Zhang, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Metropolitan State University of Denver and the coordinator for the Sustainable Systems Engineering program.

Zhang has more than 40 years of experience in the engineering field working in China and U.S. His experience is in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering design, concrete structural design, foundation studies, geophysics, hydraulic engineering and engineering mechanics. Zhang worked as an engineer at Kunming Design and Research Institute of Non-Ferrous Metallurgy in Kunming, Yunnan, China and Chang Engineering, Inc. in Parker. He was also a senior engineering programmer at NSA Engineering, Inc. in Golden and research assistant professor at University of Utah. Zhang is a member of many professional organizations including American Society of Civil Engineering, American Society for Engineering Education and United States of Computational Mechanics. He is also a consultant for GAP Engineering in Parker.

Zhang has co-authored many reports and publications with the most recent titled “Numerical Study of Soil-Foundation Interaction and Axial, Lateral Load Bearing Capacity of Drilled Shaft with Defects” for the 2008 Highway Geophysics – NDE Conference. He also co-authored a report for U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration titled “Velocity variations in Drilled Shaft DSL Surveys” in 2005. Zhang’s current projects include Soil Nail Analysis Program sponsored by Federal Highway Administration and Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program.

Zhang received his decorate in civil engineering from University of Colorado, Boulder in 1996, a masters in applied mechanics from Colorado School of Mines, Golden in 1993 and a bachelor’s in hydraulic engineering from Chengdu University of Science and Technology, China in 1982. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer.