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Research profile

Stavros Panagoulias is a PhD candidate at the Offshore Engineering department since May 2021. He is working part-time on the research topic of “Numerical modelling of monopile-soil interaction under seismic loading”, under the supervision of Dr. F. Pisanò (co-promotor) and Prof. A. Metrikine (promotor). His research, sponsored by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), aims to develop rigorous but industry-friendly numerical methods for the design of monopiles under earthquake loading conditions.

Stavros is also part-time employed by SGRE, working in the support structure design department. He holds the combined role of a foundation designer and a geotechnical engineer. He is involved in the design work of various offshore wind projects of SGRE around the globe. Next to that, he is developing numerical in-house tools related to soil-structure interaction modelling. 

Stavros obtained his 5-yr. Diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA, Greece), in 2012, and his MSc. Degree in Offshore and Dredging Engineering from the Delft University of Technology (TUD, the Netherlands), in 2015. His MSc. thesis investigated the effects of critical suction during the installation of caissons in sand, sponsored by Fugro. After that, he worked for 3.5 years at the Research department of Plaxis holding various positions, such as portfolio owner of the research developments and technical lead of the PLAXIS Monopile Design tool. He joined SGRE in 2019.

 

Research plan

Following about two decades of European development, the offshore wind industry is expanding to America and the Asia-Pacific region in support to the ambitious local and global decarbonization targets. In this respect, severe natural hazards, such as earthquakes and typhoons, pose unprecedented engineering challenges for offshore wind developments. The existing body of seismic research for OWTs, particularly for soil-structure interaction aspects, is still underdeveloped. Thereby, developing adequate design practice for earthquake-resilient offshore wind turbines (OWTs) is indispensable. The optimization of the support structure (tower and foundation) is a critical aspect of the design. OWTs in relatively shallow waters are commonly founded on the so-called monopiles (MPs), i.e., tubular steel piles of large diameter and relatively low penetration depth. Proper consideration of seismic soil-structure interaction is crucial for safe and cost-effective MP design. The existing knowledge gaps can be addressed via reliable and robust 3D numerical modelling tools. Subsequently, industry-friendly engineering models need to be developed for the seismic MP design. 

 

Goals:
•    3D Finite Element modelling of seismic soil-structure (OWT-MP) interaction
•    Engineering MP seismic analysis via efficient 1D soil reaction models

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

External positions

Design Engineer, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

Keywords

  • TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
  • offshore wind
  • Earthquake engineering
  • Geotechnical engineering

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