Wei-Chau Xie   PhD, PEng
Professor
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA N2L 3G1
E-mail: xie@uwaterloo.ca
Office: CPH-2373E
 

 Curriculum Vitae

PRINCIPAL AREAS OF RESEARCH
  • Seismic analysis and design of engineering structures
  • Dynamic stability of structures, structural dynamics and random vibration, nonlinear dynamics, and stochastic mechanics
  • Reliability and safety analysis of engineering systems
The applications of particular interest are those pertaining to the reliability and safety analysis and design of nuclear power plants, on-shore and off-shore structures, tall buildings that are subjected to loadings caused by earthquakes, ocean waves and wind turbulence. The objective of research is to have a better understanding of the dynamic and stability behaviour of structures, and to provide methods for the reliability and safety analysis and design of structures, machinery, and engineering systems in general.

AWARDS AND PRIZES
  • Distinguished Teacher Award the highest formal recognition given by the University of Waterloo for a superior record of continued excellence in teaching, University of Waterloo, 2007.

                       Citation

  • Teaching Excellence Award  in recognition of an exemplary record of outstanding teaching, concern for students and a commitment to the development and enrichment of engineering education at Waterloo, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2001.
  • Distinguished Performance Award for outstanding contribution in teaching, scholarship and service during 1999, Faculty of Engineering, 2000; for outstanding contribution in teaching, scholarship and service during 2005, Faculty of Engineering, 2006.
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Doctoral Prize for outstanding doctoral research and potential for a research career, 1992.
  • University of Waterloo Alumni Association Gold Medal for outstanding achievement in graduate studies at the Ph.D. level, 1990.


Seismic Risk Analysis of Nuclear Power Plants
2019, Cambridge University Press
 ISBN 978-1-107-04046-5
  
Seismic Risk Analysis of Nuclear Power Plants addresses the needs of graduate students in engineering, practicing engineers in industry, and regulators in government agencies, presenting the entire process of seismic risk analysis in a clear, logical, and concise manner. It offers a systematic and comprehensive introduction to seismic risk analysis of critical engineering structures focusing on nuclear power plants, with a balance between theory and applications, and includes the latest advances in research. It is suitable as a graduate-level textbook, for self-study, or as a reference book. Various aspects of seismic risk analysis, from seismic hazard, demand, and fragility analyses to seismic risk quantification, are discussed, with detailed step-by-step analysis of specific engineering examples. The book presents a wide range of topics essential for understanding and performing seismic risk analysis, including engineering seismology, probability theory and random processes, digital signal processing, structural dynamics, random vibration, and
engineering risk and reliability.

Excerpts from the book


Differential Equations for Engineers
2010, Cambridge University Press
 ISBN-13 978-0-521-19424-2, ISBN-10 0-521-19424-5
This book presents a systematic and comprehensive introduction to ordinary differential equations for engineering students and practitioners. Mathematical concepts and various techniques are presented in a clear, logical, and concise manner. Various visual features are used to highlight focus areas. Complete illustrative diagrams are used to facilitate mathematical modeling of application problems. Readers are motivated by a focus on the relevance of differential equations through their applications in various engineering disciplines. Studies of various types of differential equations are determined by engineering applications. Theory and techniques for solving differential equations are then applied to solve practical engineering problems. Detailed step-by-step analysis is presented to model the engineering problems using differential equations from physical principles and to solve the differential equations using the easiest possible method. Such a detailed, step-by-step approach, especially when applied to
practical engineering problems, helps the readers to develop problem-solving skills.

This book is suitable for use not only as a textbook on ordinary differential equations for undergraduate students in an engineering program but also as a guide to self-study. It can also be used as a reference after students have completed learning the subject.

Excerpts from the book

Addendum
Dynamic Stability of Structures
2006, Cambridge University Press
 ISBN-13 978-0-521-85266-1, ISBN-10 0-521-85266-8
  
This book presents a systematic introduction to the theory of parametric stability of structures under both deterministic and stochastic loadings. A comprehensive range of theories are presented and various application problems are formulated and solved, often using more than one approach. Investigation of an elastic system's dynamic stability frequently leads to the study of dynamic behavior of the solutions of parametrically excited systems. Parametric instability or resonance is more dangerous than ordinary resonance as it is characterized by exponential growth of the response amplitudes even in the presence of damping. The emphasis in this book is on the applications and various analytical and numerical methods for solving engineering problems. The materials presented are as self-contained as possible, with all of the important steps of analysis provided, in order to make the book suitable as a graduate level textbook and especially for self-study.

 BOOK REVIEWS

 Ricardo Foschi, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering

 P. Duffour, Journal of Sound and Vibration 

Excerpts from the book