Joseph M. Bracci, Ph.D., P.E.

Bracci, Joe

Assistant Research Engineer

Construction, Geotechnical and Structures Division - CE/TTI, Room 705K
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 845-3750 Ext. 53750 · fax (979) 845-6554
j-bracci@tamu.edu

Short Biography

Joseph M. Bracci is a Professor of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University and a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1987, 1989, and 1992, respectively. From September of 1989 through August of 1992, he was employed as a lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at SUNY at Buffalo to teach various undergraduate classes, as well to perform research. From January through July of 1993, he worked as a structural engineer at EQE International in San Francisco on the seismic soil-structure interaction response of nuclear facilities. Since September of 1993, he has worked at Texas A&M University starting as an Assistant Professor, received tenure in September of 1999, and promoted to Professor in September of 2005. His research interests include the analysis, experimental testing and design of reinforced concrete structures, performance-based wind and earthquake engineering, performance and constructability of composite steel-concrete frame structures, and diaphragm response in URM buildings. He is an active member of several professional and technical societies, such as ACI and ASCE. He is a member of ACI committees 335 (composite and hybrid construction), 374 (performance based seismic design), and Publication. He is also Chairman of ACI 375 (performance based wind design) and Secretary of the Concrete Research Council. His was an Associate Editor for the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, a member of the ASCE composite structures committee, and the faculty advisor for the Texas A&M University student chapter of ASCE. He is the author and coauthor of several technical papers and reports on the seismic damage evaluation and retrofit of non-ductile R/C frame structures, composite steel-concrete frame systems, and various analytical studies on the seismic performance of structural frame systems.

Research Experience

Texas A&M University

* Investigated the performance-based design of earthquake resisting structural systems.

* Evaluated the seismic performance and retrofit of wood diaphragms in URM buildings constructed in Mid-America.

* Investigated the cause of flexural cracking in cantilevered RC bent caps.

* Evaluated the seismic vulnerability of subsea systems in the Gulf of Mexico.

* Evaluated the seismic performance of structural frame systems made of RC columns with an embedded I-shape for erection purposes and composite steel beam-RC slab sections.

* Developed an analytical approach for evaluating the seismic performance and retrofit of reinforced concrete structures.

* Performed experimental studies on the effectiveness of confining wood sill plates for improved performance during seismic excitation.

State University of New York at Buffalo

* Designed, constructed, and performed shaking table tests on a 1:3 scale model of a three story gravity load designed RC frame building. Prepared testing schedules, instrumentation, data acquisition, and data processing for shaking table tests.

* Evaluated structural damage and developed seismic retrofit techniques for gravity load designed RC frame buildings including concrete and masonry jacketing of columns; partial and full masonry infills; and viscoelastic and viscous dampers.

* Designed a retrofit for the model using each technique. Based on analytical evaluations, experimental constraints, and availability of retrofit material, performed a retrofit using concrete jacketing with column post-tensioning and again tested on the shaking table.

* Designed, analyzed, and performed shaking table tests on retrofit techniques using viscoelastic dampers.

* Modeled behavior of inelastic structures with RC sections, composite sections, and viscous, viscoelastic and viscoplastic materials.

Professional Experience:

EQE Engineering Consultants

* Developed 3-D structural models of buildings at various nuclear power stations throughout the US. Performed seismic soil-structure interaction analyses of buildings and developed floor response spectra under various earthquake levels to evaluate the mechanical and nuclear equipment in the facilities.

Teaching Experience:

* Capstone Structural Design and Analysis, Capstone Design for General CE Majors, Advanced Reinforced Concrete, Structural Concrete Design, Experimental Methods in Civil Engineering, Hazardous Environmental Loads on Structures, Theory of Structures, Solid Mechanics, Statics and Dynamics.

* Vulnerability Function Derivation, Consequence Based Engineering Institute, Mid-America Earthquake Center, January 2003 and 2005.

Research Grants:

* National Science Foundation, "Vulnerability Functions", Mid-America Earthquake Center, University of Illinois, 1/02-9/05, Funding $120,000 (NSF) and $120,000 (matching).

* National Science Foundation, "Treatment of Uncertainty", Mid-America Earthquake Center, University of Illinois, 10/04-9/05, Funding: $20,000-NSF and $20,000-matching, with P. Gardoni

* National Science Foundation, "Consequence Based Engineering Institute", Mid-America Earthquake Center, University of Illinois, 10/04-9/05, with M. Hueste (TAMU) and P. Gould (WU), Funding: $10,000-NSF and $10,000-matching

* Minerals Management Services, "Assessment of Seismic Risk for Subsea Production Systems in the Gulf of Mexico," with Mary Beth D. Hueste and J. Don Murff, 9/01 - 8/03, Funding $100,000.

* Ford Motor Company, "Design in Engineering Education," TAMU/Ford Strategic Alliance, 9/00-8/03, Funding $10,000 per year.

* National Science Foundation, "Performance-Based Design of Earthquake Resisting Structural Systems", CAREER Development Program, 9/98-8/02, Funding $225,000 and $25,000 (matching).

* National Science Foundation, "Seismic Performance of Rehabilitated Floor and Roof Diaphragms", Mid-America Earthquake Center, University of Illinois, with Mary Beth Hueste, 4/98-12/01, Funding $130,000 (NSF) and $130,000 (matching).

* Texas Department of Transportation, "Study of Flexural Cracking in Cantilever Standard Design Interior Bent Caps", with Peter Keating and Mary Beth Hueste, 9/98-8/00, Funding $206,422.

* National Science Foundation, "Seismic Behavior of Composite Moment Resisting Frame Systems", US-Japan Research Program on Composite and Hybrid Structures, with Walter P. Moore, 9/96-8/99, Funding $150,000 (NSF) and $109,548 (matching).

* Office of the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, Faculty Mini-Grants, "Improved Performance in Bolted Wood-to-Concrete Connections", 10/95-6/96, Funding $900.

* "Texas A&M University" Engineering Excellence Award, partly funded project on "Seismic Performance of Confined Sill Plate Connections", Faculty Start-up Funds, 9/93, Funding, $20,000.

Education

  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 1992.
  • Master, Civil Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 1989.
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 1987, Cum Laude.

Experience

  • Assistant Research Engineer, Major Highway Structures, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Present.
  • Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A & M University, September 1999.
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A & M University, September 1993 - August 1999.
  • Structural Engineer, EQE Engineering Consultants, San Francisco, California, January 1993 - August 1993.
  • Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, September 1989 - December 1992.
  • Research Assistant, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, January 1989 - September 1989.
  • Structural Engineer, Canon Design Inc., Buffalo, New York, January 1989 - September 1989.

Professional Registration

Professional Engineer in Texas, Registration No. 79855, 1994.

Affiliations

  • Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
  • Associate Editor, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2000 - 2003.
  • Committee Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Subcommittee on Joints.
  • Committee Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
  • Faculty Advisor, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Student Chapter, 1999 - 2003.
  • Member, National Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi.
  • Treasurer, National Civil Engineering Honor Society, Chi Epsilon, 1986.
  • Member, American Concrete Institute.
  • Member, American Concrete Institute, Committee 335.
  • Member, American Concrete Institute, Committee 336.
  • Member, American Concrete Institute, Committee 374.
  • Member, American Concrete Institute, Committee 375.
  • Secretary, American Concrete Institute, Concrete Reserach Council.
  • Member, American Concrete Institute, Committee ITG-4.
  • Member, American Concrete Institute, Publications Committee.

Honors & Awards

Director, Center for Design and Construction Integration, Texas A & M University.

Zachry Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2002.

ASCE Faculty Advisor Award, 2002.

ASCE Faculty Advisor Award, 2001.

Ford Fellow, Texas A & M University, 2003.

Faculty Fellow and Advisory Council, Texas A&M University, College of Architecture.

Collingwood Prize, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 1998, for the paper, Seismic Performance of Confined Sill Plate Connections.

Selected Publications

J.B. Mander, J.M. Bracci, S. Hurlebaus, Z.C. Grasley, M.M. Karthik, S. Liu, R.M. Scott. Structural Assessment of "D" Regions Affected by Premature Concrete Deterioration: Technical Report. 0-5997-1. Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. November 2012.

J.M. Bracci, P. Gardoni, M.K. Eck, D. Trejo. Performance of Lap Splices in Large-Scale Column Specimens Affected by ASR and/or DEF. 0-5722-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. June 2012.