Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States
Professor Ching Shung Chang 🎓 is a distinguished civil engineer and academic currently serving as a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst 🏫. Born on December 19, 1947, Dr. Chang has significantly contributed to the field of geomechanics and soil mechanics for over four decades. His pioneering work on micromechanical constitutive models has advanced the understanding of granular materials like sand, clay, and asphalt concrete 🧱. With over 270 scholarly publications, Dr. Chang’s research continues to influence modern geotechnical and structural engineering globally 🌍. He is also an active member of professional societies like ASCE, ASME, and Sigma Xi, and has chaired and served on multiple technical committees. Dr. Chang’s legacy is defined not just by academic excellence 📘, but by his lasting impact on engineering education, theory, and practice 🔬.
Professional Profile
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📘 Education
Professor Chang’s academic journey began with a B.S. in Civil Engineering 🏗️ from Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (1969) 🇹🇼. He then pursued his Master’s in Soil Mechanics at the University of South Carolina (1971) 🇺🇸, deepening his expertise in foundational earth materials 🌍. His academic path culminated with a Ph.D. in Soil Mechanics from the prestigious University of California, Berkeley (1976) 🎓. His doctoral thesis, titled “Analysis of Consolidation of Earth and Rockfill Dams”, showcased his early dedication to soil behavior and infrastructure safety 💧⛰️. These strong educational foundations laid the groundwork for his pioneering research and academic contributions in geotechnical engineering 🧠.
🛠️ Experience
Dr. Chang’s professional journey spans nearly five decades in academia and research 🧪. He began as an Assistant Professor at SUNY Buffalo (1977–1979), later joining the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1979, where he rose through the ranks from Assistant ➡️ Associate ➡️ Full Professor 👨🏫. He also served as a Faculty Fellow at the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1980 🚆. His long-standing tenure at UMass Amherst since 1979 reflects a deep commitment to teaching, mentoring, and pioneering research. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York and Massachusetts 🧾. Throughout his career, he actively contributed to professional bodies like ASCE and ASME, serving in leadership roles across numerous committees related to soil dynamics, granular materials, and geomechanics 🌐.
🔬 Research Focus
Dr. Chang’s research primarily focuses on micromechanical modeling of geomaterials—substances like sand, clay, rock, and asphalt concrete 🪨🧱. His innovative work bridges soil mechanics, granular physics, and thermodynamics, developing advanced models that accurately simulate material behavior under stress and over time ⏳⚙️. A major focus of his recent research is understanding how grain size distribution affects the properties of granular soil from a thermodynamic and physics-based perspective 🌡️🔍. His models have broad applications in geotechnical, structural, and transportation engineering, and are now featured in modern textbooks on plasticity and geophysics 📚. This cross-disciplinary approach has not only advanced academic understanding but also improved real-world engineering solutions. His models assist engineers in designing safer infrastructure by predicting soil and material behavior more precisely 💡🏗️. Through over 270 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Chang has become a leading figure in geomechanics research worldwide 🌍📖.
📚 Publications Top Notes
An anisotropic elastic–viscoplastic model for soft clays
Authors: Z.Y. Yin, C.S. Chang, M. Karstunen, P.Y. Hicher
Journal: International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 47(5), 2010, pp. 665–677
Summary:
This paper introduces a model for soft clay behavior that incorporates both elastic and viscoplastic responses, accounting for anisotropy in soil structure 🧪.
Conclusion:
The model accurately predicts time-dependent deformation and stress paths in soft clay, improving engineering designs involving soft ground foundations and embankments 🌱🏗️.
Modeling time-dependent behavior of soft sensitive clay
Authors: Z.Y. Yin, M. Karstunen, C.S. Chang, M. Koskinen, M. Lojander
Journal: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Vol. 137(11), 2011, pp. 1103–1113
Summary:
This study presents a comprehensive model for sensitive clays considering time-dependent strength loss and reconsolidation effects.
Conclusion:
The proposed model enhances predictions of clay behavior in Nordic regions and is especially relevant for infrastructure design in soft ground conditions under long-term loading 🕒🧱.
Stress-strain relationship for granular materials based on the hypothesis of best fit
Authors: C.L. Liao, T.P. Chang, D.H. Young, C.S. Chang
Journal: International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 34(31–32), 1997, pp. 4087–4100
Summary:
This paper introduces a method for fitting stress-strain curves for granular soils using a “best-fit” hypothesis 📈.
Conclusion:
The approach provides practical tools for modeling stress-strain behavior in sands and gravels, significantly improving the accuracy of geotechnical simulations in construction design 🏗️.
An elasto-plastic model for granular materials with microstructural consideration
Authors: C.S. Chang, P.Y. Hicher
Journal: International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 42(14), 2005, pp. 4258–4277
Summary:
The paper presents an elasto-plastic model that incorporates microstructural parameters like particle interaction and void ratios for granular materials.
Conclusion:
The model shows excellent agreement with experimental results and paves the way for micromechanical simulations in foundation and pavement engineering 🌉🛣️.
Geotrack model for railroad truck performance
Authors: C.S. Chang, C.W. Adegoke, E.T. Selig
Journal: Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, Vol. 106(11), 1980, pp. 1201–1218
Summary:
This early work developed a Geotrack model for analyzing railroad track performance under repeated loading.
Conclusion:
The model helps in railway maintenance planning and has influenced rail design and ballast material specifications for enhanced durability 🚄🛤️.
✅ Conclusion
Professor Ching Shung Chang is a globally respected expert in soil mechanics and geomechanics, whose work has profoundly shaped the understanding and modeling of granular and soft soil behavior 🌍🔬. With a strong foundation in civil engineering and decades of academic excellence at institutions like UC Berkeley and UMass Amherst, he has advanced the field through the development of innovative micromechanical and constitutive models for materials like sand, clay, and asphalt concrete ⚙️🧱. His contributions bridge theory and application, offering practical solutions in infrastructure, transportation, and geotechnical design 🚆🏗️.