History

The Department of Civil Engineering was founded in 1972. It is located in a building with a gross surface area of more than 16000 m2 including classrooms, an auditorium, a drafting room, seminar rooms, a library room, a computer facility, staff offices, administrative areas, and laboratories of a gross area of about 5000 m2. The staff of the Department consists of 21 faculty members, 14 Professors Emeriti, 2 teaching associates, 5 technical associates, and 6 administrative members.

The Department consists of three Divisions, eight Laboratories, a Seismic Simulator facility, and two Computer Centers. The staff and the various functions of the Department, with the exception of the Computer Centers and the Seismic Simulator, are integrated under the three Divisions. The Department’s Divisions cover the areas of Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering and Hydraulic Engineering, and Environmental Engineering and Transportation Engineering.

The Department operates 8 Laboratories for teaching and research purposes. These are the Structures, the Structural Materials, the Geotechnical Engineering, the Hydraulic Engineering, the Environmental Engineering, the Transportation and Ambient Mobility Systems, and the Construction, Infrastructure and City Management Laboratories. In addition, the Department has a Computer Center with a large number of personal computers, which provides adequate computing facilities primarily for undergraduate education. Computational facilities for research purposes are attached to each of the eight Laboratories of the Department.

The Department is also responsible for graduate education leading to the degrees of Postgraduate Diploma in the “Design of Resilient, Sustainable and Smart Infrastructures”, and Doctorate (PhD) in Civil Engineering through a comprehensive graduate studies program involving graduate level courses.

Foreword

The successful outcome of a civil engineering project, from the preliminary design to the completion of the project, is based on:

  • The knowledge and expertise of the members of the project team
  • The cooperative spirit between the members of the project team
  • The methodic and careful execution of work in every stage of the project

The Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Patras tries to apply the above principles in the process of Civil Engineering education. Students, faculty, administrative and technical stuff, we consider ourselves a team whose objective is to achieve knowledge with a spirit of respect, trust, cooperation and concert.

The scientific and research work performed at the Department, despite the current difficulties, is of high standards and receives international recognition. The faculty, the researchers and the graduates (diploma, master and doctorate) of the Department form the solid foundation of this recognition.

In closure, I repeat the mission statement of the Department, which was approved by the no. 4/23-11-2011 Department Assembly:

The Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Patras aims at providing education/training of the highest possible standards towards the preparation of engineers capable of mastering new knowledge, providing service to the community and assuming leadership positions. The Department strives for excellence in creation, collection, conservation and spread of knowledge in Civil Engineering.

Thanasis Dimas
Professor

Structure