Current Research

Pavement Flooding Risk Assessment and Management in the Changing Climate

Research interests:

• Incorporation of climate change projections into infrastructure designs
• Pavement vulnerability and risk quantification in the changing climate
• Spatial analysis of pavement network risk for extreme events
• Pavement asset management for nature hazards
• Climate change adaptation strategies for pavements
• Technology for building climate-resilient pavement infrastructure

Academic and Professional Curriculum

• 2016-present: Ph.D. Candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo
• 2015: Research Assistant, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo
• 2013: Research Assistant, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
• 2009-2014: Ph.D. in Agricultural Mechanization Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
• 2005-2009: B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.

Academic Awards and Recognition

• 2018: Civil Engineering Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo, (ON, Canada)
• 2018: Engineering Doctoral Domestic Student Award, University of Waterloo, (ON, Canada)
• 2016- 2018: Graduate Research Studentship (GRS), University of Waterloo, (ON, Canada)
• 2016- 2017: International Doctoral Student Award, University of Waterloo, (ON, Canada)
• 2016: Provost Doctoral Entrance Award for Women, University of Waterloo, (ON, Canada)

Publications and Presentations

2018 Donghui Lu, Susan L. Tighe, and Wei-Chau Xie. (2018). Pavement Risk Assessment for Future Extreme Precipitations under Climate Change. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. (Journal paper in publishing)

2018 Donghui Lu, Susan L. Tighe, and Wei-Chau Xie. (2018). Adapting Pavement Infrastructure to Flood Risk under Climate Change — A Review of Adaptation Strategies. CSCE 2018 Annual Conference (Paper no. DM7), June 13-16, 2018. Fredericton, NB, Canada.

2018 Donghui Lu. (2018). The Roadmap for Flood-Resilient Pavement Infrastructure in the Changing Climate. Presentation in Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) sustainable committee meeting: where innovation meets action, February 6-8, 2018, Ottawa, Canada. (Guest speaker)

2017 Donghui Lu, Susan L. Tighe, and Wei-Chau Xie. (2017). Impacts of flooding on Asphalt Pavements under Climate Change. 2017 Canadian Technical Asphalt Association (CTAA) Annual Conference, November 12-15, Halifax, Canada.

2017 Donghui Lu, Susan L. Tighe, and Wei-Chau Xie. (2017). Pavement Fragility Modeling Framework and Build-in Resilience Strategies for Flood Hazard. Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting (No. 17-01735), January 2017, Washington DC.

2017 Donghui Lu. (2017). Analyzing Flooding Impacts on Asphalt and Concrete Airfield Pavements under Climate Change. Presentation in 2017 Summer Winter Integrated Field Technologies (SWIFT) Conference, September 18-22, Halifax, Canada. (Guest speaker)

2017 Donghui Lu. (2017). Pavement Flood Risk Assessment and Management. Presentation invited by American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA). (Guest speaker for Webinar meeting)

2017 Susan L. Tighe, Donghui Lu, M. A. Chamorro Giné, H. de Solminihac, T. Echaveguren, and Wei-Chau Xie. Development of Infrastructure That Is Resistant to Natural Disasters. 2017 International Conference on Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Constructed Infrastructure Facilities (MAIREINFRA). Keynote paper. July 19- 21, 2017.

Personal Information

Donghui was born and raised in China. She received both of her B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. She also had research experiences in University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada as an exchange PhD student in 2013. She had involved in the research and management of various multi-disciplinary collaborative projects during the doctoral study in China. After she moved to Canada in 2015, she has developed a passion for studying implications of climate change on pavement infrastructure. She’s particular interest is to improve pavement design and asset management in the changing climate by performing pavement vulnerability and risk assessment, especially for floods/extreme precipitations. She aims to find ways to adapt pavement infrastructure to future climate and promote pavement system resiliency.

Donghui is an active member of Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) under the supervision of Professor Susan Tighe and Wei-Chau Xie. Her current research fields include incorporation of climate change projections into infrastructure designs; pavement vulnerability and risk quantification in the changing climate; spatial analysis of pavement network risk for extreme events; pavement asset management for nature hazards; climate change adaptation strategies for pavements; technology for building climate resilient pavement infrastructure.

Donghui enjoys yoga, climbing, travelling and watching movies in her spare time.