Former director of ITAM Prof. Miroš Pirner died

Prof. Pirner was born on 11 September 1928 in Žižkov, Prague. After graduating from the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Czech Technical University he joined the State Institute of Transport Design. There he designed building structures—mainly bridges—but after a year he transferred to the Railway University in Prague as an assistant. The University was later moved to Žilina. There he habilitated as Associate Professor. In 1970 he joined the Academy of Sciences in Prague, but had to leave after five years for political reasons. He then joined the Technical and Testing Institute of Construction, where he became chief structural engineer and dynamicist. There he established the Laboratory of Structural Dynamics and Diagnostics. In 1982 he defended his doctoral thesis at the CTU. In 1990 he was allowed to return to the Academy of Sciences, to the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, where he served as the director for two terms (1990-98).

Since the beginning of his professional activity, M. Pirner focused on the theoretical side of problems, but as an engineer he also had an understanding of their practical solutions. He focused on wind-induced effects on bridges and footbridges, on the dynamics caused by transport and industrial activities (technical seismicity), and most recently he had been pursuing the possibilities of applying dynamics as a diagnostic method to detect possible damage to, and degree of wear on structures (residual life).

It is practically not possible to give a complete list of built or designed structures on which he has worked as a co-author, expert or consultant. Let us mention the wooden dome of the sports hall in Žilina, the steel hall of Sazka Arena in Prague, the bridge near Žďákov, the SNP suspension bridge with café in Bratislava, the prestressed ribbon footbridge at the Vranov lake and a similar construction over the Sacramento River in the USA, the building of the former Research Institute of Mathematical Machines in Prague-Vokovice, the high-rise twin towers in Tbilisi, the cooling towers in Temelin, the three-hunderd-metre masts in Slovakia, etc. , etc.

He also presented most of the practical problems in scientific publications. In total, more than 350 analyses and articles in professional journals, contributions at scientific conferences and independent publications were published. Such work, of course, required great diligence, consistency, and persistence to complete. In spite of many obstacles, misunderstandings or ill will, Prof. Pirner received awards and recognition. To name but a few: the State Prize (1983), the Honorary Doctorate of the University of Žilina (2002), the E. Mach Gold Medal of the Academy of the Czech Republic (1998), medals of the University of Pardubice (1999 and 2002) and the University of Ostrava (2003), membership in the Engineering Academy of the Czech Republic, honorary membership in the ČKAIT, extraordinary recognition of the Minister of Transport (2003), etc.
 

 The collective at ITAM is grateful to Prof. Pirner for the professional work he has done in the field of building dynamics. We appreciate his diligence, courage in discussions, and, last but not least, his often harsh but kind humor.