Professor Emeritus of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Research Expertise
Structural reliability and probabilistic mechanics
Probabilistic and statistical approaches to design of structural and mechanical systems
Random vibration analysis and design
Specialty in metal fatigue and fracture reliability analysis and design
Education
PhD: The University of New Mexico, 1970
MS: University of Notre Dame, 1959
BS: Civil Engineering, St. Louis University, 1957
Employment Since 1980
1999: The University of Arizona: Professor Emeritus
1980-99: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Arizona:
Associate Professor 1970-80
Professor 1980-99
1999-date: UA College of Engineering Special Professional Education short course, Mechanical Shock (a four-day short course offered biannually): Associate Director
1987-date: UA College of Engineering Special Professional Education short course, Random Vibrations, Analysis and Design (a one-week short course offered annually): Associate Director
1980-date: UA College of Engineering Special Professional Education short course, Reliability Methods in Mechanical and Structural Design (a one-week short course offered annually): Director
Honors and Awards
Induction into Offshore Energy Center’s Hall of Fame as a Technology Pioneer: Reliability-Based Design of Marine Structures, 2003
Tom L. Popejoy Dissertation Prize, The University of New Mexico, 1973
Professional Societies
Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
Sigma Xi
International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability
Registered Engineer
California (Mechanical)
Publications Since 2000
Wirsching, P.H., Application of Reliability Methods to Fatigue Analysis and Design, Recent Developments in Reliability Based Civil Engineering (A. Haldar, ed.), World Scientific Publishing Co., 2006.
Wang, X., Kang, J-K, Kim, Y., and Wirsching, P. H., Low Cycle Fatigue Analysis of Marine Structures, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, Hamburg, Germany, 2006.
Spencer, J. S., Wirsching, P. H., Wang, X, and Mansour, A. E., Development of Reliability Based Classification Rules for Tankers, Trans. Soc. Naval Architects and Marine Eng., Jersey City, New.Jersey., 2005.
Wang, X., Cheng, Z, Wirsching, P. H., and Sun, H., Fatigue Design Factors and Safety Levels Implied in Fatigue Design of Offshore Structures, Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, Halkidki, Greece, 2005.
Millwater, H. R. and Wirsching, P. H., Analysis Methods for Probabilistic Life Assessment, ASM Handbook, Vol. 11, Failure Analysis and Prevention, 2003.
Wirsching, P. H. and Nguyen, H. P., Fatigue Reliability: A Review of Recent Advances, Int. J. Mater. Prod. Technol. 16 (Nos. 1 and 2), 2001.
Nguyen, H. P., Wirsching, P. H., and Ma, K-T, Failure of Ship Hull as a First Passage Problem, Proc. 8th ASCE Specialty Conference on Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability, University of Notre Dame, 2000.
Wirsching, P. H., Nguyen, H. P., and Ma, K-T., Fatigue Reliability as a First Passage Problem, Proc. 8th ASCE Specialty Conference on Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability, University of Notre Dame, 2000.
Paez, T. L., Nguyen, H. P., and Wirsching, P. H., First Passage Failure: Analysis Alternatives, Proc. 8th ASCE Specialty Conference on Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability, University of Notre Dame, 2000.
Wirsching, P. H., Nguyen, H. P., Osage, D. A., and Mansour, A. E., Probability Based Fitness for Service for Pressure Vessels and Piping, Proc. 8th ASCE Specialty Conference on Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability, University of Notre Dame, 2000.
Osage, D. A., Shipley, K. S., Wirsching, P. H., and Mansour, A. E., Application of Partial Safety Factors for Pressure Containing Equipment, Proc. ASME Pressure Vessel and Piping Conference, Seattle, 2000.
