Alessandro Antonini

Profile

Alessandro holds Msc and PhD degrees in civil engineering from the University of Bologna. After his PhD defence he worked in Bologna for three years sharing his time between research activities and marine structures consultant works, then he moved in UK to work at the University of Plymouth. He has worked on several aspects of wave-structure interaction, from the wave energy harnessing to the dynamic response of coastal and offshore structures.

Research

Starting from the broad fields of ocean and coastal engineering, my main research interests focus on wave-structure interaction, which in turn has been driving me to approach different aspects of the problem: from the generation and propagation of extreme waves to the caused dynamic response of offshore and coastal structures. I aspire to contribute to the deeper understanding of the waves and their effects on the structures, i.e. which are the waves physical aspects that still need to be deeper investigated and which tools should be developed for a cost-effective coastal structures design.

Educational activities

MSc. courses

• CIE5308 - Breakwaters and Closure Dams

Key publications

• Brownjohn, J., Raby, A., Antonini, A., Bassit, J., Hudson, E., Dobson, P, 2018. Experimental modal analysis of British rock lighthouses. Marine structures, 62, 1-22.
• Bressan L., Guerrero M., Antonini A., Petruzzelli, V., Archetti, R., Lamberti, A., Tinti, S. A laboratory experiment on the incipient motion of boulders by tsunami flows. Earth Surface Processes and Landform, 43, 2935-2947.
• Antonini, A., Archetti, R., Lamberti, A., 2017. Wave simulation for the design of an innovative quay wall: the case of Vlorë Harbour. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 127-142.
• Bozzi, S., Giassi, M., Moreno Miquel, A., Antonini, A., Bizzozero, F., Gruosso, G., Archetti, R., Passoni, G, 2017. Wave energy farm design in real wave climates: the Italian offshore. Energy, 122, pp. 378-389.
• Antonini, A., Lamberti, A., Archetti, R., Miquel, A.M., 2016. CFD investigations of OXYFLUX device, an innovative wave pump technology for artificial downwelling of surface water, Applied Ocean Research, 61, 16-31.
• Schweizer, J., Antonini, A., Govoni, L., Gottardi, G., Archetti, R., Supino, E., Berretta, C., Casadei, C., Ozzi, C. Investigating the potential and feasibility of an offshore wind farm in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Applied Energy 2016, 177, 449-463.
• Lamberti, A., Antonini, A., Ceccarelli, G., 2014. What could happen if the parbuckling of Costa Concordia had failed: analytical and CFD-based investigation of possible generated wave. Proc. of the 34th International Conference on Coastal Engineering, Seoul, ICCE 2014.

Projects

• Principal investigator: ICE project - Intelligent Community Energy. INTERREG - France (Channel) England, European Commission, €8M - University of Plymouth £623’957.
• Co-Investigator: STORMALMP project - STructural behaviour Of Rock Mounted Lighthouses At the Mercy of imPulsive waves. UK-EPSRC funded project, £1.02M - University of Plymouth £453’077.
• Principal investigator: PORTOS project - Port Toward Energy Self-Sufficiency. INTERREG - Atlantic Area, European Commission, €3.5M - University of Plymouth €290’000.