Paul DeStefano is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Francis College of Engineering's Civil and Environmental Engineering Dept. at UMass Lowell.

Paul DeStefano

Associate Teaching Professor

College
Francis College of Engineering
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Phone
978-934-5932
Office
Shah Hall
Email
paul_destefano@uml.edu

Expertise

Structural & Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Infrastructure Systems

Research Interests

  • Structural & Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Infrastructure Systems
  • Civil Infrastructure Systems; Performance, Deterioration, Reliability, Risk, and Decision Analysis.

Education

  • Other: Geotechnical Engineering, University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana, Ill
  • Ph D: Civil Engineering, (1998), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Troy, New York
    Supporting Area: Infrastructure Engineering and Management Systems
  • MBA: General Business Management, (1987), Florida Institute of Technology - Melbourne, Fla.
  • MS: Geotechnical Engineering, (1981), University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
  • BS: Structural Engineering, (1978), U.S. Coast Guard Academy - New London, Conn.

Biosketch

Paul teaches undergraduate and graduate courses related to structural and geotechnical engineering as well as probabilistic methods including reliability and risk assessment. He has taught undergraduate civil engineering courses at several universities throughout New England including Northeastern University, Tufts University, University of New Hampshire, and Merrimack College and graduate business courses at Southern New Hampshire University. Paul has over twenty-five years of civil engineering experience in both public and private professional practice. Paul is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in several states, a certified structural engineer recognized by the Structural Engineering Certification Board (SECB), and Fellow member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Paul served in the United States Coast Guard as a civil engineering project officer and facility manager responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of various marine waterfront, civil infrastructure and military facilities. Paul was employed by various medium to large multidisciplinary consulting firms in private practice where he served as structural engineer, project manager, geotechnical engineer, technical department manager, director and principal in these firms.

His engineering experience includes structural and geotechnical investigation, analysis and design of industrial and commercial buildings, single and multi-span steel bridges, water and waste-water treatment tanks, dams and levees, utility supports, marine structures (docks, wharfs, bulkheads, etc.), deep foundations (piles, drilled shafts, micro-piles, etc.), bridge piers and abutments, earth retaining structures, reinforced-earth slope stabilization, and pavements. Paul is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and serves on the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Technical Council on “Life-Cycle Performance, Safety, Reliability, and Risk of Structural Systems.”

Paul is an active member of ASCE and faculty advisor for the student chapter of Chi Epsilon (National Civil Engineering Honor Society). He served on Infrastructure Condition Assessment committees for both New Hampshire and Maine ASCE Chapters and helped produce the ASCE infrastructure Report Card in 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2012. Paul also served as Boston Society of Civil Engineers’ chairman of the Herzog Award technical paper review committee and volunteer for the annual model bridge competition for several years. Paul has presented several technical research papers at various civil engineering conferences and is a technical reviewer for the ASCE Journal for Infrastructure Systems.

Selected Awards and Honors

  • Fellow (2015) - American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Achievement Medal (1988), Service, Professional - U.S. Coast Guard
  • Commendation Medal (1984), Service, Professional - U.S. Coast Guard
  • Civil Engineering Scholastic Proficiency Award (1978), Scholarship/Research - U.S. Coast Guard Academy
  • Scholar-Athlete Award (1978), Service, Professional - US Coast Guard Academy

Selected Publications

  • DeStefano, P., Grivas, D.A. 1998. Method for estimating transition probability in bridge deterioration models. Journal of Infrastructure Systems,4(2) 56-62.
  • DeStefano P. and Grivas D. 1997. “A Reliability-Based Performance Model for Large Bridge Component Systems”. Transportation Research Board 76th Annual Meeting, Washington, D. C., Paper No. 971141.
  • DeStefano P. and Grivas. D.A. 1996. “Project-level Decision Analysis Methodology for Large Bridge Rehabilitation”. Transportation Research Board 75th Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. January. Paper No. 960552.
  • DeStefano P. and Grivas D. 1996. “Bridge Deck Performance and Rehabilitation: A Reliability-Based Analysis”. Proceedings of the Fourth Materials Engineering Conference. ASCE, Washington, D.C. pp. 1072-1081.

Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research

  • Risk Communication for Civil Infrastructure (2009), Sponsored Research - American Society of Civil Engineers Technical Council on Life-Cycle Performance, Safety, Reliability, and Risk of Structural Systems
  • A Probabilistic Method for Increasing Bridge Design Life (2010), Sponsored Research - Maine Department of Transportation
  • Infrastructure Condition Assessment of the State of Maine's Ports and Harbors (2007), Sponsored Research - American Society of Civil Engineers Maine Section
  • A Performance and Life-Cycle Cost Study of Reinforced-Concrete Bridge Decks (2000), Sponsored Research - University of New Hampshire
  • Infrastructure Condition Assessment of the State of New Hampshire's Navigable Waters and Dams (2001), Sponsored Research - American Society of Civil Engineers New Hampshire Section
  • Bridge Management System Development Study (1994), Sponsored Research - Center for Infrastructure and Transportation Studies Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute