He is the author and editor of a number of academic papers and textbooks on coastal, river, and hydraulic engineering subjects.

He studied at the Technikum Żeglugi Śródlądowej (English: Technical School of Inland Waterways) in Wrocław, graduating in 1959.

He initiated several major research programs, including studies on the static and dynamic stability of riprap and armourstone, the closure of tidal estuaries, prediction techniques for scour, and protective structures to prevent erosion.

[12] A further development from the collaboration initiated by Pilarczyk was research cooperation between Delft University of Technology and Thuyloi University in a programme funded by both the Dutch and Vietnamese governments,[13] which resulted in the creation of a coastal engineering faculty at Thuyloi, complete with a coastal engineering laboratory.

[14] Pilarczyk also initiated collaboration with the Instituto Superior Politécnico Jose Antonio Echevarria in Cuba.