JamesJirsa

Bio
Early in Jirsa’s career, he focused his attention on the behavior and design of beam-column joints. Motivated by damage to concrete structures in the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, he conducted pioneering experimental studies into the behavior of such joints to resist forces induced by lateral earthquake and wind loads.

For many years, he participated in and led the American Concrete Institute (ACI) committee on beam-column joints, which developed state-of-the-art guidelines that have been incorporated into the ACI-318 Building Code.

A second research focus of Jirsa’s has been on bonding and developing steel reinforcement in concrete structures. His studies provided new data and models to improve the requirements in seismic applications. In addition, he conducted some of the first research into the anchorage of epoxy-coated reinforcements to improve the life-cycle performance of bridges and other structures subject to deterioration in harsh environments.

Another area where Jirsa made significant research contributions was in structural repair and rehabilitation. His early research on seismic repair and retrofit influenced the development of the FEMA 273 guidelines for seismic rehabilitation of buildings, which later formed the basis of the ASCE 41 standard on rehabilitation.

In 1988, Jirsa was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for significant contributions to research on the behavior and design of structural reinforced concrete. He has also received ASCE’s Walter L. Huber Research Prize. He is an honorary member and past president of ACI, has served on its Board of Direction, and has chaired the ACI Technical Activities Committee. He is also an honorary member of EERI and served on the Board of Directors.

Jirsa supervised 53 Ph.D. and 124 M.S. students and, with his students and colleagues, published over 110 refereed journal papers.

Educational Qualifications
Ph.D., Engineering, University of Illinois, 1963
M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Illinois, 1962
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska, 1960

Select Awards & Honors

• American Society of Civil Engineers distinguished member (2017)
• Joe J. King Professional Engineering Achievement Award – The University of Texas at Austin (2001-02)
• Billy & Claude R. Hocott Distinguished Centennial Engineering Research Award – The University of Texas at Austin (1995-96)
• National Academy of Engineering member (1988)  

Related Websites
Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory
Center for Transportation Research

Select Publications