| Georgios G. Penelis |
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1. Education and academic career development • Professor Georgios Penelis was born 1939 in Thessaloniki. In 1957 he graduated from the 5th Secondary School of Thessaloniki, first in his class with a mark of 19.6 (out of 20). In October of the same year he passed the entrance examination for the Department of Mathematics (first among all candidates) and for the Civil Engineering Department (fifth); he decided to become an engineer. In 1962 he completed the 5-year course in Civil Engineering and graduated first in his class with a final mark of 8.56 (out of 10). He was awarded scholarships by the State Foundation of Scholarships during the entire period of his studies.
• Immediately after completing his studies he received a scholarship from the German Agency for Academic Exchanges (DAAD) for postgraduate studies in Germany, but was unable to accept it as he had to join the army. He served his military service as a sub-lieutenant until 1964.
• After completing his military service, he was appointed in 1965 as an assistant at the Laboratory of Applied Statics (Structural Analysis) of the Civil Engineering Department (School o1f Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki-AUTh), where he was promoted next year to a research fellow. At the same time he was involved in the design and supervision of various civil engineering structures.
• In 1966 he was awarded a doctoral degree at the School of Engineering (AUTh). The topic of his doctoral thesis was “Membrane stress state in axi-summetric shells”. • In 1967 he obtained a sabbatical for further training in Munich, Germany. During his stay in Munich he worked at the headquarters of Dyckerhoff & Widmann AG, a company world-renowned for its pioneering prestressed concrete structures (cantilever bridge construction, development of Dywidag prestressing system, etc.). As a member of the Design Section of the company he participated in the design of a number of major prestressed concrete structures. In parallel, he attended an advanced software development course at the Munich Technical University; it is worth pointing out that at the time software development was seen as a pioneering field, even in Germany. After the successful completion of the aforementioned course, he was transferred to the Software Section of the company, consisting of a small number of qualified engineers working on the development of problem-oriented programs to support the firm’s design projects. He worked in that section until 1969 when he returned to his post in Thessaloniki.
• In 1969 he was awarded a Dozent’s degree after submitting his habilitation thesis on the “Investigation of the inclined bending problem in R/C sections using the theory of plasticity”, and became a Dozent (lecturer) at the Chair of Applied Statics of the School of Engineering (AUTh). During the same year he was assigned the teaching of the Structural Analysis course.
• In 1971, at the age of 31, he was elected (with a unanimous vote) as a full professor at the Chair of Reinforced Concrete (School of Engineering, AUTh), and he also became the director of the Laboratory of Reinforced Concrete, a post that he still holds.
• Professor Penelis is fluent in English and German. He lives in Thessaloniki with his wife Paraskevi, a lawyer, and his son Gregory, a civil engineer.
• Prof. Penelis has been retired on 30-08-2006 after 41 year continuous academic service. The same year he was honoured by the University as Professor Emeritus. 2. Academic activities • Following his appointment as a full professor, G. Penelis focussed his efforts on teaching and research in the field that the University had assigned to him at such an early age. This continuous effort has never stopped until his retirement. In parallel, and at an increasing rate, he was involved in a series of other academic activities, like administration (at both the School and University levels), participation to code drafting committees, and so on.
2.1 Teaching • The first priority of Prof. Penelis was to achieve the opening and filling in of the necessary positions of scientific, technical, and administrative personnel (11+2+2 positions), that were indispensable for the operation of the Chair and the Laboratory. The academic group set up at that time has continued to serve with very little changes since then, has reached a high degree of homogeneity, and operates smoothly and in a coordinated way until his retirement. All of its members are today permanent members of the academic staff, from the assistant professor to the full professor level.
• He then reorganised and brought up to date all Reinforced Concrete courses. The effort for a continuous updating of the material taught, in line with the latest developments in the field, was never been abandoned ever since. Along these lines, since 1971 the following new courses were introduced:
Concrete bridges Prestressed concrete Prefabricated R/C members Special R/C structures (silos, tanks, shells, etc.) New methods for the design of concrete structures (seminars) Concrete technology (seminars) Computer programming for the analysis and design of structures (seminars) Later on, the package of R/C courses was extended to include: Earthquake resistant concrete structures Seismic pathology – strengthening of R/C structures Mechanics of masonry Inelastic static analysis of R/C structures under seismic loading (PG course) Inelastic dynamic analysis of R/C structures under seismic loading (PG course) Structural restoration of monuments and listed masonry structures (PG course) • The aforementioned courses were all supported by continuously updated books and course notes, which were the product of laborious efforts of most members of the teaching group. The chronological list of books and course notes is indicative of the previous philosophy:
“R/C courses” (4 volumes), by G. Penelis, 1973 (Vol. I: Reinforced Concrete; Vol. II: Prestressed concrete; Vol. III: R/C Buildings; Vol. IV: Concrete Bridges) “Seminar on current developments in the design of R/C”, collectively written by the staff of the R/C Laboratory, 1976 “Seminar on Concrete Technology”, collectively written by the staff of the R/C Laboratory, 1976 Seminar on repair of buildings damaged by earthquake”, collectively written by the staff of the Civil Engineering Department, 1979 “Earthquake resistant concrete structures” (in Greek), G. Penelis and A. Kappos, 1990 “Reinforced concrete structures”, G. Penelis, K. Stylianidis, A. Kappos, and C. Ignatakis, 1995 “Earthquake resistant concrete structures” (in English), G. Penelis and A. Kappos, 1997 • The library of the R/C Laboratory was organised and continuously expanded to include a significant number of books as well as scientific journals (10 titles). • An effective system for monitoring the project work of students was set up by Prof. Penelis and is still being implemented. • Final year projects have long been supervised by the academic staff of the Laboratory, falling mainly within the following categories: Laboratory testing Analytical studies Design of R/C structures 2.2 Research • The role of Prof. Penelis was instrumental in creating the necessary infrastructure for carrying out research in the field of reinforced concrete. In this respect - He set up the legal framework and succeeded in obtaining the funds for erecting the laboratory building and purchasing the required equipment. The building of the R/C Laboratory of AUTh covers today an area of about 2500m2 and in it the most modern equipment is found, making the laboratory one of the leading ones in Europe.
- He organised, jointly with the former director of the Applied Statics Laboratory Prof. G. Nitsiotas, a local computer centre connected to the University main frame, to cover the computational needs of the two laboratories. • Having established the experimantal and computational infrastructure, Prof. Penelis then focussed on the research activities of the Laboratory with emphasis on fields where Greece had a potential advantage over other countries. Hence, the main research topics included
- Earthquake resistant concrete structures - Structural restoration of monuments and listed masonry buildings - Use of recycled materials in concrete technology (flying ash, pumice) As a result of the aforementioned research the Laboratory staff produced - Over 500 papers in international and national scientific publications - 25 doctoral theses, while another 15 doctoral candidates are currently working towards their degree - Two habilitation (dozent’s) theses • In parallel, over 30 research programmes have been completed or are currently in progress, with funding from both Greek and European sources. As an indication of this activity, the following programmes are mentioned:
- Use of Ptolemais fly ash as a substitute for cement - Structural restoration of Rotunda in Thessaloniki (pilot study) - Structural restoration of Achiropiitos Church in Thessaloniki - Statistical evaluation of damage during the 1978 Thessaloniki earthquake - Pre-earthquake evaluation of school and hospital buildings in the Central Macedonia Region (ongoing programme) - Mobility of researchers network on earthquake engineering, involving the Universities of London (Imperial College), Darmstadt, Potenza, and Paris (LCPC). - Mix design of fly ash concrete for the Platanovrisi dam of the Electricity of Greece (ΔΕΗ) constructed using roller-compacted concrete (first use of the method in Greece) - Composition of grouts and mortars for the repair of a large number of monuments and listed masonry buildings 2.3 Further academic activities • Prof. Penelis has actively participated in the administration of both the School of Engineering and the Aristotle University. Since 1975 he has been elected to most of the administrative posts at AUTh namely:
- Dean of the School of Engineering (1975-76) - Member of the AUTh Senate (1976-77) - Head of the Structures Section of the Civil Engineering Department (1982-83) - Head of the Civil Engineering Department (1987-88) - Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee set up by the School of Engineering (since 1999) • During his term as Dean of the School of Engineering he has secured funding for the infrastructure of the (then) new departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, and managed to establish the academic staff positions which remain essentially the same until today.
• He has taken part in a large number of national and international conferences, either as an invited speaker or as member of their scientific committees. A non-exhaustive list includes the following conferences
- Hellenic Conference on Concrete (1st to 13th) - Hagia Sophia: From the Age of Justinian to the Present. International Colloquium, Princeton, US ,1992. - 5th SECED Conference on European Seismic Design Practice, Chester, UK, 1995. - 11th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Mexico 1996. - 1st Japan – U.K. Seismic Risk Forum, London 1996. - 2nd Japan – U.K. Seismic Risk Forum, Tokyo 1998. - 3rd Japan – U.K. Seismic Risk Forum, London 2000. - 4th International Symposium on the Conservation of Monuments in the Mediterranean, Rhodes 1997. - Seminario sul Tema “Evoluzione nella Sperimentazione per le Costruzioni”, C.I.A.S., Corinto 1998. • Prof. Penelis has been the chairman or a member of several national committees dealing with drafting of codes of practice, specifications, and guidelines on several issues related to his expertise. A selection of them includes:
- Drafting committee of the Code of Practice for Reinforced Concrete (Greek Ministry of Environment and Public Works) - Drafting committee of the Greek Seismic Code (Greek Ministry of Environment and Public Works) - Committee for the strengthening of monuments damaged by the earthquake of 20-6-78 - Drafting committee of the Guidelines for seismic repairs (AUTh) - Committee for the detailed post-earthquake evaluation of public assembly halls in Thessaloniki, following the earthquake of 20-6-78 - Committee for the codification of Specifications of Construction of Public Works (Greek Ministry of National Economy) - Drafting committee of the Guidelines for pre-earthquake evaluation of public buildings (EPPO-Earthquake Protection & Planning Organization) - Committee for developing National Application Documents for the Structural Eurocodes (ELOT-Greek Standards Organization) - Drafting committee of the Guidelines for repair and strengthening of school buildings damaged by the 1999 Athens earthquake (OSK- Organization for School Buildings) • He has represented Greece at the UN and the EU in a number of committees relevant to his expertise, such as: - National representative at the Drafting Committee of Eurocode 2 (R/C Structures), since 1988 - National representative at the UNIDO/UNDP Committee for drafting the six-volume work “Building Construction under Seismic Conditions in the Balkan Region”, 1982-1985. - Convenor of the group that drafted the 6th volume of the above work, entitled “Repair and Strengthening of Historical Monuments and Buildings in Urban Nuclei”. - National representative at the UNESCO/UNDP Programme (RER/79/014) “Earthquake Risk Reduction in the Balkan Region” (19821985). • Prof. Penelis is a UN registered expert in the field of earthquake resistant structures. Under this capacity he was appointed as an expert on field missions to Monte Negro, Mexico, etc. • He has been appointed by the EU and NATO as a reviewer/evaluator for several research proposals/programmes of foreign universities and research centres. • He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Earthquake Engineering (Imperial College Press, UK) and Ktirio – Scientific Edition (Greece). • He has acted as a reviewer for the following international and national journals - Journal of European Earthquake Engineering - Journal of Intl Earthquake Engineering - Journal of Earthquake Engineering - Technica Chronica (Greece) - Ktirio – Scientific Edition (Greece) 3. Professional activities Prof. Penelis has acted as a consultant or a designer in a number of major projects, like thermal power stations, bridges, underground structures, silos, etc. An indicative list of these projects includes the following: 20,000 ton capacity grain silo in Thessaloniki Two sugar silos of 20,000 ton capacity each, in Larissa and Xanthi Overpass bridges in Mitilinakia and Lagada (Thessaloniki area) Elevated motorway in Cologne, Germany (prestressed concrete bridge, cantilever construction, a D&W project) Airplane hangar with suspended roof in the airport of Frankfurt (a D&W project) Football ground of ARIS FC in Thessaloniki Building complex of Calamari Secondary School in Thessaloniki Industrial building of Pyramis SA, covering an area of 20,000m2 (Thessaloniki area) Final study of pilot tunnel (cut and cover method) of the Thessaloniki Underground (Metro) 4th unit (chimney) of the Ptolemais thermal power station Overpass bridges of the West Thessaloniki motorway Consultant in the preliminary study of the undersea motorway of Thessaloniki He has been a consultant or a designer in a number of structural restoration projects involving some of the best-known monuments in Greece. An indicative list includes the following monuments: The Rotunda in Thessaloniki, the second largest preserved Roman building (after the Pantheon in Rome) The basilica of Achiropiitos, the largest basilica in Eastern Mediterranean, dating from the 5th century. The Saintess Anastasia Monastery, close to Thessaloniki, a large convent complex of the 12th century. The Lazariston Monastery, a building complex of the 19th century, recently turned into a cultural centre. The Vlatadon Monastery in Thessaloniki The “Bezesteni”, an old Ottoman covered market in Thessaloniki The Villa Bianca in Thessaloniki, which received the “Europa Nostra” award The National Library of Greece, a neo-classic marble building complex in Panepistimiou Street, Athens. He was also involved in the repair and strengthening of various contemporary buildings and other structures. A non-exhaustive list includes: The “Palais des Sports” in Thessaloniki: A R/C circular stadium with a hemispherical shell roof (Prof. Penelis was in charge of the repair and strengthening study, after the 1978 earthquake) Thermal power station of Electricity of Greece in Kardia; Repair and strengthening of the coal bunkers Chalastra overpass in Thessaloniki area: Seismic upgrading of the bridge using the isolation approach Aravissos aqueduct, the 48-km long external aqueduct of Thessaloniki made of 1.60-m diameter prestressed concrete pipeline: Environmental damage evaluation and retrofit proposals. Repair and restoration of complex of schools in Ano Liosia, Athens (2000) The Army Pension Fund Building (80000 sq. m. built area) in Athens (2001-2006) Restoration and Strengthening of the Greek telecommunications (ΟΤΕ) tower in Thessaloniki (2002) 4. Administrative activities Over his long academic career, Prof. Penelis was involved in a variety of activities within the broader community, all of which were related to his expertise and abilities. Among them:
- In 1978, together with his University colleagues Prof. Nitsiotas and Valalas, they were the main consultants to the Minister of Public Works, with the role of developing the legal framework for the rehabilitation of buildings in the greater Thessaloniki area damaged by the 1978 earthquake. The then developed legal framework is still in force, with minor amendments and adaptation to the present situation. The aforementioned team of consultants contributed actively towards the establishment of institutions that are active until today, among them the Institute of Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Resistant Structures (ITSAK) and the Agency for the Rehabilitation of Populations affected by earthquakes in N. Greece (YASVE); moreover, the then drafted Guidelines for the repair of buildings damaged by earthquake are still in force. - Consultant to the Minister of Environment and Public Works for the rehabilitation of buildings damaged in Kalamata during the 1986 earthquake. - Member of the ITSAK board of directors since its establishment; vice-chairman of the board in the period 1992-93 - Chairman of the National Committee for Earthquake Prognostics and Preparedness (1992-93) - Member of the Scientific Committee B (Earthquake Resistant Structures) of the EPPO - Coordinator of the design team for the prestudy of the Thessaloniki Metro, which was a key element in the project’s Contract of Transfer (1987-1993) - Secretary General of Research and Technology (1991-93) - Executive Director of the Organisation for Thessaloniki Cultural Capital of Europe 1997 (1993-94) - Vice-chairman and member of the board of directors of EGNATIA ODOS AE, the company charged with the design, construction and operation of the 680 km motorway (budget of 1.15 trillion drs.), the largest infrastructure work currently being constructed in Europe (since 1995). - Vice-chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the Technical Committee of the Organisation for the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (since 1996), charged with the construction and operation of the building of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, which has recently started its operation. 5. International awards. 1. In 1981, as a recognition of his pioneering work in the structural restoration of Roman and Byzantine monuments, he was elected as an ordinary member of Academia Pontaniana (Napoli, Italy), in the Order of Scienze Matematiche (mathematical sciences).
2. In 2003 he was awarded by ACI at the Sixth Cammpt / ACI international Conference “for his outstanding contributions in Research in the area of Durability of Concrete and Masonry Structures”. 6. Publications Prof. Penelis has published extensively, both as a single author and jointly with the members of the R/C Laboratory staff. These publications, which are in Greek, German, or English, include:
- Books (for both students and practising engineers) - Refereed journal papers - Conference papers A list of his most significant publications follows.
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