Lucia Tirca, PhD

Dr. Tirca received a number of prestigious awards including the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship and several European Tempus Fellowships.

Her research interests include Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Design of Steel Buildings, Innovative Seismic Force Resisting Systems, Retrofit Design, and Resilience Assessment of Buildings under Multiple Hazards.

Dr. Tirca has several years of practical experience in structural engineering in Canada and Europe.  She was rewarded with the “Mention Honorifique CANAM” and is a licensed engineer in Québec.

Research areas

• Design of Steel Building Structures
• Seismic Retrofit and Retrofit Technologies for Buildings
• Innovative Structural Steel Systems for Buildings
  
• Energy Dissipation Devices
• Resilience Assessment of Buildings under Multiple Hazards
• Structural Dynamics and Computer Aided Design
• Earthquake Engineering

Courses

• CIVI 454   -  Design of Steel Structures
  
• CIVI 6031 -  Seismic Assessment and Retrofit of Steel Buildings
  
• CIVI 6071 -  Advanced Steel Structures Design
  
• BLDG 490 -  Integrated Building Engineering Design Project (Capstone)
• CIVI 490   -   Integrated Civil Engineering Design Project (Capstone)
• CIVI 390   -   Civil Engineering Design Project 
• BCEE 342 -   Structural Analysis I
• ENGR 244 -  Mechanics of Materials 

Journal Papers

•      
  Athanasiou* A., Tirca L., Stathopoulos T., 2023. "Performance-based wind and earthquake design framework for tall steel buildings with ductile detailing". Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 240 (2023).

•      Bosco, M., Tirca, L., 2023. “A novel design criterion for I-shape beams of steel MRF buildings in subduction-zone earthquake-prone areas”. Structures Journal, (Elsevier), Vol. 48, pp. 2098-2115.

•       Athanasiou*,A., Tirca, L., Stathopoulos, T., 2022. “Nonlinear wind and earthquake loads on tall steel braced frame buildings”. Journal of Structural Engineering (ASCE), Vol. 148 (8).

•       Athanasiou*,A., Dakour*, M., Pejmanfar*, S., Tirca, L., Stathopoulos, T., 2022. “Multihazard performance-based assessment framework for multi-story steel buildings”. in  Special Issue: “Risk-Informed and Life-Cycle Analyze of Structures and Infrastructures”, Journal of Structural Engineering (ASCE),Vol. 148(6).

•       Athanasiou*,A., Tirca, L., Stathopoulos, T., 2020. Discussion paper on Performance-based Wind Resistant Optimization design for tall building structures by Deng et al(2019). Journal of Structural Engineering (ASCE).

•       Chen*, L., Tremblay, R., Tirca, L., 2019. “Determination of optimum configurations for steel braced frames with segmental elastic spines” Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, 145(11).

•       Chen*,L., Tremblay, R., Tirca, L., 2019. “Modular tied eccentrically braced frames for improved seismic response of tall buildings” Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 155, pp. 370-384.

•       Chen*, L., Tremblay, R., Tirca, L., 2019. “Practical seismic design procedure for steel Braced Frames with Segmental Elastic Spines” Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 153, pp. 395-415.

•        Nguyen*, S.T., Stathopoulos, T., Tirca L., 2018. “Wind-induced shear and torsion in low-rise and medium-rise buildings: Provisions of National Building Code of Canada”.  Canadian Journal of Civil Eng., Vol. 45, No. 5, pp 339-350.

•        Tirca, L., Serban*, O., Tremblay, R., Jian*, Y., Chen*, L., 2018. ”Seismic design, analysis and testing of a friction steel braced frame system for multi-storey buildings in Vancouver”, Key Engineering Material Journal, Vol. 763, pp. 1077-1086.

•        Wang*Y., Nastri, E., Tirca, L., Montouri, R., Piluso, V., 2018: “Comparative response of earthquake resistant CBF buildings       designed according to Canadian and European code provisions”,  Key  Eng. Material, Vol. 763, 2018, pp. 1155-1163.

•     Roy* T.B., Banerji, S., Panigrahi, S.K., Chourasia, A., Tirca, L., Bagchi, A., 2017. “Modal identification and damage detection in structures using non-linear and non-stationary vibration response”, Journal of Structural Engineering (JoSE), Vol. 4, No. 3, 2017, pp. 220-227.

•    Bosco*, M., Tirca, L., 2017: “Numerical simulation of steel I-shaped beams using a fiber-based damage accumulation model”. Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 133 (2017) pp 241-255.

•     Lin, L., Hanna, A., Sinha*, A., Tirca, L., 2017. “High-rise building subjected to excessive settlement of its foundation: a case study”. International Journal of Structural Integrity 8(2), 2017, pp210-221.

•   Tirca, L., Serban*, O., Lin, L., Wang* M.Z., Lin*, N., 2016: ”Improving the seismic resilience of existing braced-frames office buildings”. Published in the Special Issue: Resilience-based analysis and design of structures and infrastructures.  Journal of Structural Engineering (ASCE), Vol. 142(8).  

•      Tirca, L., Chen*, L., Tremblay, R., 2015. “Assessing collapse safety of CBF buildings subjected to crustal and subduction earthquakes”. Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Vol. 115, pp 47-61.

•      Lin, L., Hanna, A., Sinha*, A., Tirca, L., 2015. “Structural response to differential settlement of its foundations”. Journal of Civil Engineering Research. 5(3), pp 59-66.

•     Tirca L. and Chen*, L., 2014. “Numerical simulation of inelastic cyclic response of HSS braces upon fracture”. Journal of Advanced Steel Construction, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 442-462.

•   Tirca, L., Danila*, N. and Caprarelli*, C., 2014. “Numerical modelling of dissipative pin devices for brace-column connections”. Journal of Constructional Steel Research Vol. 94 (2014), pp. 137-149. 

•      Tremblay, R., Chen*, L. and Tirca, L., 2014. “Enhancing the seismic performance of multi-storey buildings with a modular tied braced frame system with added energy dissipating devices”. International Journal of High-Rise Buildings, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 21-33.

•       Chen*,L. and Tirca, L., 2013. “Simulating the Seismic Response of Concentrically Braced Frames Using Physical Theory Brace Models”. Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 3,No. 2A, pp. 69-81.

•     Tirca, L. and Chen*, L., 2012. ”The influence of lateral load patterns on the seismic design of zipper braced frames”, Engineering Structures Journal, Vol. 40, pp. 536-555. 

•     Galal, K., Seif ElDin*, H. and Tirca, L., 2012. “Flexural Performance of Steel Girders Retrofitted Using CFRP Materials”, Journal of Composites for Constructions, (ASCE), Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 265-276. 

•      Tirca, L., Foti, D., Diaferio, M., 2003. ”Response of middle-rise steel frames with and without passive dampers to near-field ground motions”, Engineering Structures Journal, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 169-179. 

•     Book Chapters

• Tirca, L., 2015. "Friction dampers for seismic protections of steel buildings subjected to earthquakes - Emphasis on structural design” in the Section Structural Engineering; Seismic Design with High Performance Systems of Encyclopedia of Earthquake Engineering, Editors: Michael Beer, Edoardo Patelli, Ioannis Kougloumtzoglu, Ivan Siu-Kui Au, Section editor, Dimitrios Lignos.

•    CimellaroGP, Chiriatti* M, Reinhorn A, Tirca L. (2012). Emilia earthquake of May 20th, 2012 in Northern Italy: rebuilding a resilient community to multiple hazards. MCEER - State University of New York at Buffalo, 110p.

• Gioncu V., Mateescu, G., Tirca, L., Anastasiadis, A., 2000. “Influence of the type of seismic ground motions” in volume ’’Moment resistant connections of steel building frames in seismic areas’’ Edited F.M. Mazzolani, E & FN Spon, London, pp. 57-92, ISBN 0-415-23577-4.

Athanasiou*, A., Dakour*, M., Tirca, L.,Stathopoulos, T. (2023): Wind hazard on earthquake damaged buildings, EuroSteelConf., Amsterdam 12-14 Sept., 2023, published in Ernst and Sohn.

Athanasiou*, A., Tirca, L., Stathopoulos, T.(2023): The across wind effect on theperformance-based assessment of tall steel buildings in multi-hazardenvironment. The 16^thinternational conf. on wind engineering, Florence, Italy, 27-31 August.

Athanasiou*, A., Tirca, L., Stathopoulos, T.(2022): Performance-based wind and earthquake design framework for tall steel buildings withductile detailing. The 8^th European-African conf. on windengineering, Bucharest, Romania, 20-23 Sept.

Pejmanfar*, S., Tirca, L. (2022): EnhancedFramework for Resilience-Based Design of Buildings. 11th InternationalConference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, August 8-12, 2022, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Millichamp*, D., Tirca, L. (2022): Dual System for Enhanced SeismicPerformance of      Friction-SlidingBraced Frames in Proceedings of the 10 Int. Conf. on Behaviour of SteelStructures in Seismic Areas (STESSA), eds. Mazzolani, F., Dubina, D., Stratan,A., Springer, Timisoara, Romania, May 2022, pp. 641-649.

Chen*Lizhu, Wang*, S., Athanasiou*, A., Tirca, L. (2022): Feasibility of Strongback System in Storey Mechanism Mitigation of Steel Braced Frames in Proceedings of the 10 Int. Conf. on Behaviour of Steel Structures in Seismic Areas (STESSA), eds. Mazzolani, F., Dubina, D., Stratan, A., Springer, Timisoara, Romania, May 2022, pp. 482-490.

Tirca,L., Millichamp*, D., Wang*, Y. (2022):  “SeismicDesign of Friction-Sliding Braced Frame Connections”. The IX ConnectionsAISC–ECCS Workshop, Coimbra, Portugal (postponed to 2021 due to COVIDrestrictions).

Chen*,Liang, Pejmanfar*, S., Tirca, L. (2021): Earthquake-induced loss and collapserisk assessment of steel segmental elastic spine braced frames. 17 World Conference in EarthquakeEngineering, Sendai, Japan 2021. 

Wang*, Y., Millichamp*, D., Tirca, L. (2021):Quantifying Earthquake Collapse Safety of Dual Friction-Sliding Braced FrameBuilding. 17 World Conference in Earthquake Engineering, Sendai, Japan 2021. 

Athanasiou*,A., Tirca, L., Stathopoulos, T. (2021): Dynamicresponse of inelastic fixed-base and base isolated steel structures under windand earthquakes. 17 World Conference in Earthquake Engineering, Sendai, Japan2021.

Delir*, S., Erkman, E, Tirca, L. (2021): Shell analysis of steel frames consideringlow-cycle fatigue within the continuum-damage-plasticity framework, CSCE AnnualConference Montreal, Canada.

Wang*, Y., Pejmanfar*, S., Tirca, L, 2019: Intensity-based performanceassessment of middle-rise steel office buildings. 12th Canadian Conference onEarthquake Engineering, Quebec, 12-17 June.