Infrastructure and Environment

Spyros A. Karamanos, is Professor of Computational Structural Mechanics, at the University of Thessaly, Greece, Department of Mechanical Engineering. He teaches courses in Structural Mechanics and Finite Element Methods. From 2016-2019 he was Chair of Structural Engineering, at the School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh.

Spyros specializes in structural mechanics and integrity of energy infrastructure systems, with emphasis on steel structures. His research interests focus on buckling and fatigue of pipelines and offshore structures, mainly tubular components and systems, using computational (finite element) methods, and experimental testing. His research has been funded primarily by European research projects, with the participation of European steel and pipeline industry. He has published more than 180 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings.

Spyros has a 5-year Diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece (1989), and received his PhD in Structural Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, USA (1993).

• 1993 Ph.D. in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
• 1991 Μ.Sc. in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
• 1989 Diploma (5-year degree) in Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece (Highest Honors, 1st out of 350 students).

1. Steel Tubular Structures and Components
   • Ultimate strength
   • Fatigue (high-cycle and low-cycle)
   • High-strength steel tubulars
   • Offshore wind energy platforms
2. Pipeline analysis and design
   • Offshore pipeline mechanics
   • Line pipe manufacturing
   • Geohazards and pipelines
3. Seismic analysis and behavior
   • Structural steel buildings
   • Pipeline systems (hydrocarbon, water)
4. Assessment of aging infrastructure
   • Defect analysis
   • Remaining strength and fatigue life
   • Applications to
     • industrial equipment (tanks, vessels, piping)
     • pipelines (hydrocarbon, water)
     • offshore platforms

https://christopherjness.github.io/

I am a Reader in Chemical Engineering, investigating various aspects of soft matter including suspension rheology and granular materials. I am available for industrial consulting projects in any area related to suspension rheology (see my publication list here) and I am also recruiting PhD students.

• 2023-present: Reader in Chemical Engineering
• 2019-2025: Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh
• 2016-2019: Maudslay-Butler Research Fellow - Pembroke College, University of Cambridge
• 2012-2016: PhD Engineering - University of Edinburgh
• 2007-2011: BA, MEng Chemical Engineering - Clare College, University of Cambridge

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Associate Member of IChemE
• Associate Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Associate Member of EPSRC Peer Review College
• Member of the Americal Physical Society
• Member of UKRI Early Career Forum (2021-2022)
• Member of RSC Formulation Science and Technology Committee
• Member of EPSRC Early Career Forum in Engineering (2018-2021)

• Chemical Engineering Design 2
• Chemical Engineering Design 4
• Chemical Engineering Research Projects 5

Rheology, soft matter, granular matter, particle-based simulation

I am available for consulting projects in the fields of suspension rheology (colloids, granular suspensions) and gelation. I have experience of modelling fundamental flows that elucidate the relationships between formulation (particle shape, size, surface details) and processing and also in modelling processes such as wet milling and extrusion.

I am currently recruiting PhD students and may have funding available.

Please get in touch by email for further information.

Dr. Chris Beckett joined the School in early 2017. His research interests are the advanced geotechnical and structural characterisation of stabilised and unstabilised unsaturated soils used as construction materials; geotechnical characterisation of agricultural soil constraints (compaction and water repellency); and centrifugal scale modelling of soil structural behaviour. He lectures in Foundation Engineering and holds an Adjunct Reseach Fellow position at the University of Western Australia.

PhD in Geotechnical Engineering, Durham University (2011)

MEng (hons) in Civil Engineering, First Class, Durham University (2008)

• Chair: Standards Australia Committee BD-083 Earth Building
• Member: RILEM TC 274-TCE Testing and characterisation of earth-based building materials and elements

Andrea has a first degree in Chemical Engineering at the Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Portugal, followed by an Industrial Placement at Fujifilm, former Avecia in Grangemouth working on dye purification for inkjet printers using membrane technology.

During her PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, she carried out extensive research focused on the removal of organic and inorganic trace contaminants from water (e.g. hormones, pesticides, uranium) using membrane technology. She subsequently participated in the AFFIRM project “Analysis of biofilm mediated fouling of nanofiltration membranes” funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the EU Framework Programme 7 (project 278530; Total budget: €1.5M) in Ireland as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow between 2012 and 2013. The work focused in understanding bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes.

Andrea’s current research projects focus on developing new technologies and materials for sustainable desalination, water and wastewater treatment processes with the aim of recovering a high yield of resources such as potable water, bioenergy and chemicals. Her projects involve:

• Water and wastewater remediation with biochar from waste in collaboration with the Biochar Centre in the School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh
• Aquaculture wastewater bioremediation with algae and other living organisms for the recovery of water, biomass and bioenergy in collaboration with Scottish Association for Marine Science and Aquaculture Industries;
• Desalination, water and wastewater treatment with membrane technology and novel nanomaterials;
• Molecular level characterisation of dissolved organic matter for improved water treatment in collaboration with the School of Chemistry, the School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh and Scottish Water.

Andrea’s research results have been published in several journals such as Water Research, Environmental Science and Technology, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science and Journal of Membrane Science.

2005 Five-year Diploma degree in Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon (equivalent to 1^st honours MEng)

2011 PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of Edinburgh on the study of the adsorption and removal of endocrine disruptors by nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membrane processes.

• Water Resources 2 (CIVE08021)
• Water and Wastewater Systems 3 (CIVE09026)
• Group Design Project (Potable Water Supply) (SCEE11003)

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering) University College Dublin