Juan Carlos Pina, PH. D.
EXPERTISE
Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour of Structures under Fire, Structural Fire Engineering, Fire-Structure Interaction, CFD-FEM Simulation, High-Temperature Structural Performance, Development and Application of Multiscale and Multiphysics Models for Timber and Timber Structures.
Director for Research and Graduate Studies
Associate Professor in Structural Engineering Civil Engineering Department
Dr. Pina’s research combines structural mechanics, fire safety, and computational modelling to study how fire affects the performance and safety of buildings. He develops multi-physics models to analyse how temperature-driven changes at the material level influence structural performance and failure. His work supports the assessment of degradation, load-bearing capacity, and structural integrity across a range of materials and construction systems. Currently, Dr. Pina is leading research that couples Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Methods (FEM) to simulate fire-structure interaction. These tools help evaluate how fire exposure, design features, and material properties influence fire dynamics and structural response. A central goal of his work is to deliver practical results that can inform performance-based fire design and support engineers and designers in solving real-world problems in structural fire safety.
Relevant Publications
- L. Álvarez Briones, J. Yánez, A.H. Majdalani, W.M. Jahn & J.C. Pina, A holistic approach to understanding how openings shape the fire performance and structural response of CLT walls in compartment fires, Fire Saf. J.,(under review).
- M. Godoy Dellepiani, G. Roa Munoz, S.J. Yanez, C.F. Guzman, E.I. Saavedra Flores, & J.C. Pina, Numerical study of the thermo-mechanical behavior of steel-timber structures exposed to fire, J. Build. Eng., 65:105758, 2023.
- C.R. Vega, J.C. Pina, E. Bosco, E.I. Saavedra Flores, C.F. Guzman, & S.J. Yanez, Thermo-mechanical analysis of wood through an asymptotic homogenisation approach, Constr. Build. Mater., 125617, 2022.
- JC. Pina, C.F. Guzman, S.J. Yanez, C.M. García-Herrera, A.A. Herrera González, G.A. Palma Medel, & E.I. Saavedra Flores, Experimental study on the short-term stress relaxation response of Chilean radiata pine, Wood Sci. Technol., 56:833-850, 2022.
- M.G. Dellepiani, C.R. Vega, J.C. Pina, & E.I. Saavedra Flores, Numerical investigation on the creep response of concrete structures by means of a multi-scale strategy, Constr. Build. Mater., 263:119867, 2020.
- J.C. Pina, E.I Saavedra Flores & K. Saavedra, Numerical study on the elastic buckling of cross-laminated timber walls subject to compression. Constr. Build. Mater., 199, 82-91, 2019.
