Wei-Chau Xie, PEng
Biography
Wei-Chau Xie is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Waterloo.
His research focuses on seismic risk analysis and design of critical engineering structures; reliability and safety analysis of engineering systems; dynamic stability of structures; structural dynamics and random vibration; nonlinear dynamics, and stochastic mechanics.
Professor Xie’s primary research pertains to the reliability, and safety analysis and design of nuclear power plants; on-shore and off-shore structures; and tall buildings that are subjected to loading caused by earthquakes, ocean waves, and wind turbulence. The objective of his research is to have a better understanding of the dynamic behaviour of structures, and to provide methods for safety and reliability analysis, and design of structures, machinery, and engineering systems as a whole.
As a result of his research and teaching, Professor Xie has received several awards such as the Distinguished Teacher Award from the University of Waterloo in 2007, and Teaching Excellence Award from the Faculty of Engineering in 2001. He also received the Distinguished Performance Award for outstanding contribution in teaching, scholarship and service in 2000, 2006, and 2013.
Professor Xie has written 2 textbooks: “Dynamic Stability of Structures” and “Differential Equations for Engineers”, both published by the Cambridge University Press. He has authored and co-authored over 100 referred journal publications.
He is a member of the Canadian Standards Association N289 Technical Committee on Seismic Design. He also serves as the Associate Editor or Member of Editorial Board of a number of international journals, such as the ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines, Journal of Nonlinear Systems and Applications, and Advances in Civil Engineering.
His research focuses on seismic risk analysis and design of critical engineering structures; reliability and safety analysis of engineering systems; dynamic stability of structures; structural dynamics and random vibration; nonlinear dynamics, and stochastic mechanics.
Professor Xie’s primary research pertains to the reliability, and safety analysis and design of nuclear power plants; on-shore and off-shore structures; and tall buildings that are subjected to loading caused by earthquakes, ocean waves, and wind turbulence. The objective of his research is to have a better understanding of the dynamic behaviour of structures, and to provide methods for safety and reliability analysis, and design of structures, machinery, and engineering systems as a whole.
As a result of his research and teaching, Professor Xie has received several awards such as the Distinguished Teacher Award from the University of Waterloo in 2007, and Teaching Excellence Award from the Faculty of Engineering in 2001. He also received the Distinguished Performance Award for outstanding contribution in teaching, scholarship and service in 2000, 2006, and 2013.
Professor Xie has written 2 textbooks: “Dynamic Stability of Structures” and “Differential Equations for Engineers”, both published by the Cambridge University Press. He has authored and co-authored over 100 referred journal publications.
He is a member of the Canadian Standards Association N289 Technical Committee on Seismic Design. He also serves as the Associate Editor or Member of Editorial Board of a number of international journals, such as the ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines, Journal of Nonlinear Systems and Applications, and Advances in Civil Engineering.
Research Interests
- Structural dynamics and random vibration, dynamic stability of structures, nonlinear dynamics and stochastic mechanics, Localization in randomly disordered structures, Vibration design using cold-formed, residential floor systems, Structures, Mechanics & Construction, Seismic analysis, reliability and safety analysis, Applied mechanics and stochastic systems
Education
- 1990, Doctorate PhD, University of Waterloo, Ontario
- 1987, Master's MASc, University of Waterloo, Ontario
- 1986, Master's MEng, Ministry of Aerospace, China
- 1984, Bachelor's BE, Shanghai Jiao Tong, China
Awards
- 1990 University of Waterloo Alumni Association Gold Medal
- 1992 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Doctoral Prize
- 2007
- 2001
- 2000 Distinguished Performance Award
- 2006 Distinguished Performance Award
Teaching*
- AE 221 - Advanced Calculus
- Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- CIVE 105 - Mechanics 2
- Taught in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- CIVE 222 - Differential Equations
- Taught in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.
Graduate studies
- Currently considering applications from graduate students. A completed online application is required for admission; start the application process now.