Technical Contributions

Wing Kam Liu made fundamental contributions to nonlinear finite element methods and pioneering work in meshfree particle methods, multiple scale analysis and multiresolution methods, and coupling of atomistic with continuum simulations. His techniques have been applied in nano mechanics and materials, surface engineering, manufacturing processes, computational fluid dynamics, fluid-structure interaction, bio- and nano- fluidics, biological cellular systems, safety analysis of nuclear reactors, seismic analysis, and probabilistic fracture and fatigue problems.

Among his major achievements are:

• the development of a nonlinear degenerated shell theory which led to the Hughes-Liu shell element which is widely used in nonlinear finite element programs such as DYNA-3D.
• the development of stochastic finite element procedures for problems with random loads, geometry and material properties.
• the development of explicit-implicit and multi-time step procedures for integrating the equations of structural dynamics.
• the discovery of a correction function for restoring consistency in kernel methods including smooth hydrodynamics methods (SPH).
• the synthesis of wavelet theory with meshless approximations.
• multiscale analysis of localized physical phenomena.
• bridging scale methods for solids and fluids.