The Inaugural Lecture of Professor Spyros Karamanos, Chair of Structural Engineering took place at 5.30pm on Wednesday, 6th December 2017 in Lecture Theatre A, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King's Buildings.

The Lecture was open to the public, and all staff, students and guests are welcome to attend the Lecture.

The intriguing world of tubulars: from a simple geometry to an essential energy infrastructure asset

Energy infrastructure constitutes the backbone of modern economy. It requires significant investment both in emerging countries, because of global demographic change, and in industrial countries, to ensure quality of life and economic growth.

Currently, systems for production and transmission of hydrocarbon energy resources are being developed in deep-sea environments (which often exceed 2 km of water depth), and in areas with significant geohazard action (e.g. seismic, soil subsidence), whereas the offshore renewable energy sector is also rapidly growing. Furthermore, in many countries, extending the lifetime of existing energy infrastructure is crucial for securing unhindered energy supply.

Safeguarding the structural integrity of energy infrastructure systems is of major importance; structural failure may have serious consequences for the population, the environment and the economy, and the risk should be minimized. In those systems, tubulars (tubes and pipes) constitute an essential component, associated with numerous applications, such as pipelines (onshore and deep-water), piping systems for terminals or industrial power and process plants, and offshore structures for oil & gas or renewable energy production.

The lecture addresses an overview of the main challenges related to structural mechanics and integrity of tubulars from a holistic perspective, in connection with recent technological advancements.

Further Information

• Prof Spyros A Karamanos
• Structural Engineering & Mechanics