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