Youngguk Seo
Professor of Civil Engineering
Degrees and Appointments
B.S. (Civil Engineering), University of Seoul, 1993; M.S. (Civil Engineering - Structural),
Seoul National University, 1996; Ph.D (Civil Engineering - Transportation Materials),
North Carolina State University, 2003. Researcher (1996 - 2006) and Deputy Research
Director (2006 - 2013) at Expressway and Transportation Research Institute (ETRI)
of Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC), Korea; Pavement Engineer at Turner Fairbank
Highway Research Center (TFHRC) of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 2013 - 2014;
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, 2014 - 2020; Director of Georgia Pavement
and Transportation Research Center (GPTRC website), 2019 - 2022; Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, 2020 - 2025; and Professor
of Civil Engineering, 2025 - present.
Research Overview
Dr. Youngguk Seo specializes in advanced studies of multi-phased transportation materials, with a focus on asphalt concrete and cement concrete mixtures. His research delves into the complex behaviors of these materials under various mechanical and environmental stresses, encompassing elastic, plastic, viscoelastic, and viscoplastic properties. Dr. Seo's work is pivotal in establishing critical performance benchmarks for road infrastructure, guiding the development of models, standards, and pavement management systems. Since 2004, Dr. Seo has led extensive full-scale field experiments and overseen multiple national projects at the Korea Expressway Corporation Test Road (KECTR), a prominent 7.7-kilometer highway testing facility in South Korea. These field studies are integral to refining and validating mechanistic-empirical pavement design methodologies. From 2013 to 2014, Dr. Seo served as a pavement engineer at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). During his tenure, he conducted influential studies on recycled materials, including Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS), utilizing Accelerated Loading Facilities (ALF) to evaluate their performance under rigorous conditions. Dr. Seo's research interests extend to sustainable infrastructure design, with a particular focus on quantifying greenhouse gas emissions associated with highway construction and operation. He is also exploring innovative technologies for snow-melting that harness renewable energy sources. For more detailed insights into Dr. Seo's research and contributions, please visit his website research website.
Research Keywords
Transportation materials; full-scale testing; sustainability; road policy and specifications;
geothermal energy; traffic noise; pavement condition assessment
Professional Experience
Pavement Engineer, TFHRC of FHWA, SES Group, 02.2013 – 08.2014
Senior Researcher, KEC, Korea 02.2006 – 02.2013
Researcher, KEC, Korea 02.1996 – 02.2006
Brain Pool Scholar, Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, Korea,
05.2015 – 08.2015
Visiting Scholar, Korea Institute of Construction Technology, Korea,10.2015 – 03.2016
Visiting Scholar, Korea Institute of Construction Technology, Korea, 01.2007 – 02.2007
Civil Engineer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 10.1997 – 12.1997
Selected Publications
-
Seo, Y. and Kim, J.H. Synergistic Impact of Entrained Air and Fly Ash on Chloride Ingress in Concrete Pavement: An Electrical Resistivity Model Approach. Buildings 2025, 15, 1215. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15081215 (04.2025)
-
Kim, J.H., Kwon, O.S., Cho, W.Y., Kim, K., and Seo, Y. Introducing the rubber plate impact method: A versatile alternative to close proximity test for tire-pavement noise characterization on highways, Discover Civil Engineering http://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-024-00074-y, ISSN 2948-1546 (09.2024)
-
Kwon, J., Seo, Y., Kaplan, A. Assessment of full-depth reclamation (FDR) pavement performance: A case study in Georgia, Case Studies in Construction Materials, Volume 20, e02910, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2024.e02910., ISSN 2214-5095 (07.2024)
-
Seo, Y. and U.J. Seo. Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems for horticulture greenhouses adjacent to highway interchanges: A case study in South Korea, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110194 (01.2021)
-
Seo, Y., J.H. Kim, and U.J. Seo. Eco-friendly snow melting systems developed for modern expressways, ASTM Journal of Testing and Evaluation 47(5): 3432–3447 (10.2019)
-
Seo, Y., U.J. Seo, and J.H. Kim. Economic feasibility of ground source heat pump system deployed in expressway service area. Geothermics 76: 220-230 (07.2018)
Selecte Research Grants
-
Assessment of Durability and Functionality of Highway Porous Pavements, PI, KEC/KCL, 2024-2026
-
Optimizing Winter Roadway Treatment for Georgia Pavements, PI, GDOT RP 18-28 (subcontract to Georgia Southern University), 2019 - 2020
-
Best Policies and Regulations for the Performance Enhancement of Highway Pavement in Korea, PI, Korea Expressway Corporation, Korea, 2016 - 2017
-
Development of Materials and Construction Technology for Cool and Porous Pavement, PI, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea, 2015 - 2016
-
Energy Harvesting Technologies for Road Pavement, PI (Brain Pool Scholar at KICT), Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, 05.2015 - 08.2015
Honors and Awards
- Fellow ASCE, 08.2025
- Distinguished Scholarship Award, SPCEET, KSU, 02.2022
- Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award. KSU Foundation, 11.2018
- Brain Pool Program Award, KOFST, 05.2015
- KSCE Award, Korean Society of Civil Engineers, No. 2010-257, 01.2011
- Best Paper Award, Korean Society of Civil Engineers, No. 2008-120, 10.2008
- Best Paper Award, Korean Society of Road Engineers, No. 08-20, 10.2008
- Best Young Researcher Award, Korean Society of Civil Engineers, No. 346, 01.2007
- Best Researcher Award, Ministry of Construction and Transportation, 04.2006
- Ward K. Parr/Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists Scholarship, 07.2002
- Summa Cum Laude, University of Seoul, 02.1993
Curriculum Vitae
