Rate My Professor Robert Melchers

Professor Robert E. Melchers is Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering in the School of Engineering at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He was appointed Professor of Civil Engineering at the university in 1986 and held Australian Research Council Professorial Fellowships during 2004–2008 and 2009–2013. Melchers earned his BE with First Class Honours, MEngSc, and Dip Ed from Monash University and his PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Institution of Engineers Australia, and Institution of Civil Engineers London. His honors include the John Connell Gold Medal from Engineers Australia in 2013, Jin S. Chung Award from the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers in 2012, Australasian Corrosion Association Corrosion Medal in 2009, Guy Bengough Award in 2007, and TP Hoar Prize in 2004 for the best paper in Corrosion Science.

Melchers specializes in structural reliability analysis and prediction, probabilistic risk assessment of engineering systems, and corrosion and deterioration modeling, with emphasis on long-term marine immersion corrosion of mild and low-alloy steels, maximum pit depth statistics, microbiologically influenced corrosion under anoxic conditions, corrosion of mooring chains and wire ropes for offshore platforms, concrete sewer pipe loss, and cast iron water pipe external corrosion. He has authored over 420 refereed journal articles, supervised 28 PhD completions, and secured more than $16 million in research funding. Key books include Structural Reliability Analysis and Prediction (John Wiley & Sons, second edition 1999), Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Engineering Systems (Chapman & Hall, 1997, co-authored), Condition Assessment of Aged Structures (Woodhead Publishing, 2008, co-edited), and Eco-efficient Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Infrastructures (Woodhead Publishing, 2014 and later editions). He has served as Associate Editor of Ships and Offshore Structures since 2005, Foundation Editor of Australian Journal of Structural Engineering from 1998 to 2013, President of the International Civil Engineering Risk and Reliability Association from 1999 to 2011, and Executive Committee member of the International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability from 1985 to 2012.