Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Chair of School Teaching and Learning Committee (Singapore) 

Qualifications

PhD University of Newcastle 2003
BEng (Hons) Naval Architecture University of Newcastle 2000

Previous Positions

Senior Research Associate for Aluminium Naval Vessels Project
Project Manager & Senior Researcher for the ALERT project
Coordinator of UNEW activites and Senior Research Associate for MARSTRUCT project

Research Associate for the POP & C Project
Research Associate INTERMODESHIP Project
Manager, Technical Implementation Plan for the MARTOB Project

Memberships

Royal Institution of Naval Architects

Research Interests

Reliability based ship structural design and analysis, Probabilistic analysis, Design for environmental safety, structural analysis and design. Stability analysis, Analysis of ships in the damaged condition

Current Work

EU FP7 Project: Risk-Based Expert System for Through – Life Ship Structural Inspection and Maintenance and New-Build Ship Structural Design 

Office of Naval Research: Structural Performance of Naval Vessels

Lloyds Register Funded PhD Scholarship: Primary and secondary seaway induced dynamic loads on surface ships 

Office of Naval Research Visiting Scientist Program 

Past Projects:

Office of Naval Research: Structural Performance of Aluminium Naval Vessels
EU 6th Framework Project: Assessment of Life-Cycle Effects of Repairs on Tankers (ALERT)
EU 6th Framework Project: MARSTRUCT: A Network of Excellence on Marine Structures
EU 6th Framework Project: Pollution, Prevention and Control (POP & C)

Funding

European Commission
Office of Naval Research

Projects

• ALERT – Assessment of Life-cycle Effects of Repairs on Tankers
  Project Leader(s): Professor Bob Dow & Dr Jonathan Downes
• MARSTRUCT - Network of Excellence on Marine Structures
  Project Leader(s): Professor Bob Dow & Dr Jonathan Downes
• POP & C - Pollution Prevention and Control
  Project Leader(s): Dr Jonathan Downes
• RISPECT - Risk-Based Expert System for Through – Life Ship Structural Inspection and Maintenance and New-Build Ship Structural Design
  Project Leader(s): Dr Jonathan Downes & Professor Bob Dow
• Structural Performance of Aluminium Naval Vessels
  Project Leader(s): Professor Bob Dow & Dr Jonathan Downes
• Structural Performance of Naval Vessels
  Project Leader(s): Professor Bob Dow & Dr Jonathan Downes

MAR2106 Marine Structures IA

MAR2107 Marine Structures IB 

MAR2112 Engineering Applications 

MAR3119 Marine Structure IIA 

MAR3131 Naval Architecture III 

MAR3102 Ship Design

MAR3103 Offshore Design 

MAR3198 Individual Project and Report 

• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. Compartment level progressive collapse analysis of lightweight ship structures. Marine Structures 2013, 31, 44-62.
• Guedes-Soares C, Juncher-Jensen J, Incecik A, Downes J, Varsta P, Romanoff J, Gordo JM, Fricke W, Vredeveldt A, Jastrzebski T, Hayman B, Besnard N, Codda M, Das PK, Garbatov Y. European Research in Marine Structures. Transactions of Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers 2013. In Press.
• Wright PNH, Hutchinson KW, Downes J. Naval Architecture and Ship Design Education in Singapore and Newcastle: Under-Graduate Learning and Teaching through to Initial Professional Development. In: International Conference on Education and Professional Development of Engineers in the Maritime Industry, The Royal Institution of Naval Architects. 2013, Singapore: RINA.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. An automated finite element methodology for hull girder progressive collapse analysis. In: 13th International Marine Design Conference (IMDC). 2012, Glasgow, UK.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. Compartment level progressive collapse analysis of a lightweight hull girder. In: 6th International ASRANET Conference. 2012, Croydon, UK.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. Compartment Level Progressive Collapse Analysis of a Lightweight Hull Girder. In: 6th International ASRANet Conference for Integrating Structural Analysis, Risk and Reliability. 2012, Croydon, UK.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. A Comparison of Numerical Methods to Predict the Progressive Collapse of Lightweight Aluminium Vessels. In: 11th International Conference on Fast Sea Transportation (FAST 2011). 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
• Hutchinson K, Scott AL, Wright PNH, Woodward MD, Downes J. Consideration of Damage to Ships from Conceptual Design to Operation: The Implications of Recent and Potential Future Regulations Regarding Application, Impact and Education. In: The Damaged Ship. 2011, London, UK: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects.
• Guedes-Soares C, Juncher-Jensen J, Incecik A, Downes J, Varsta P, Romanoff J, Gordo JM, Fricke W, Vredeveldt A, Jastrzebski T, Hayman B, Besnard N, Codda M, Das PK, Garbatov Y. European Research in Marine Structures. In: SNAME Annual Meeting and Expo 2011. 2011, Houston, Texas, USA: SNAME.
• Hayman B, Berggreen C, Lundsgaard-Larsen C, Delarche A, Toftegaard H, Dow RS, Downes J, Misirlis K, Tsouvalis N, Douka C. Studies of the Buckling of Composite Plates in Compression. Ships and Offshore Structures 2011, 6(1-2), 81-92.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. Ultimate strength characteristics of aluminium plates for high speed vessels. Ships and Offshore Structures 2011, 6(1-2), 67-80.
• Alfred-Mohammed E, Chan HS, Hirdaris SE, Downes J. A cross-spectral method for the combination of wave induced dynamic loads. In: William Froude Conference: Advances in Theorectical and Applied Hydrodynamics - Past and Future. 2010, Portsmouth, UK.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. A Semi Analytical Method to Predict the Ultimate Strength and Collapse Behaviour of Orthogonally Stiffened Panels. In: 11th International Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures. 2010, Rio de Janerio, Brazil: COPPE/UFRJ.
• Misirlis K, Downes J, Dow RS. Assessment of the Ultimate Compressive Strength for FRP Plates with Geometrical Imperfections. In: 11th International Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures. 2010, Rio de Janerio, Brazil: COPPE/UFRJ.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. Collapse modes and ultimate strength characteristics of aluminium grillages in large high speed craft. In: 10th International Conference on Fast Sea Transportation. 2009, Athens, Greece: University of Athens.
• Misirlis K, Downes J, Dow RS. Effects of Geometric Imperfections on the Strength of Composite Panels in Ship Hulls. In: 1st International Conference on Light Weight Marine Structures. 2009, Glasgow, Scotland.
• McGregor JI, Moore CS, Downes J, Aksu S. Evaluation of the Environmental Risk of Aframax Tankers. In: World Maritime Technology Conference. 2009, Mumbai, India.
• Hashim S, Nisar J, Tsouvalis N, Anyfantis K, Moore P, Misirlis K, Downes J, Dow RS, Chirca I, Berggreen C, Boyd S, McGeorge D, Juin E. Fabrication, testing and analysis of steel/composite DLS adhesive joints. In: 2nd MARSTRUCT International Conference on Analysis and Design of Marine Structures. 2009, Lisbon, Portugal: CRC Press.
• Misirlis K, Downes J, Dow RS. Progressive Failure of Composite Panels in Ship Hulls. In: 10th International Marine Design Conference. 2009, Trondheim, Norway: International Marine Design Conference.
• Hayman B, Berggreen C, Lundsgaard-Larsen C, Delarche A, Toftegaard H, Dow R, Downes J, Misirlis K, Tsouvalis N, Douka C. Studies of the buckling of composite plates in compression. In: 2nd International Conference on Marine Structures: Analysis and Design of Marine Structures (MARSTRUCT). 2009, Lisbon, Portugal: Taylor & Francis.
• Benson S, Downes J, Dow RS. Ultimate strength characteristics of aluminium plates for high speed vessels. In: Analysis and Design of Marine Structures: 2nd International Conference on Marine Structures (MARSTRUCT). 2009, Lisbon, Portugal: Taylor & Francis.
• Guedes Soares C, Luis RM, Nikolov P, Downes J, Taczala M, Modiga M, Quesnel T, Toderan C, Samuelides M. Benchmark study on the use of simplified structural codes to predict the ultimate strength of a damaged ship hull. International Shipbuilding Progress 2008, 55(1-2), 87-107.
• Downes J, Moore C, Incecik A, Stumpf E, McGregor J. A Method for the Quantitative Assessment of Performance of Alternative Designs in the Accidental Condition. In: 10th International Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures (PRADS). 2007, Houston, USA.
• Landamore M, Cabezas-Basurko O, Downes J, Mesbahi E. Design for Environmental Safety and Sustainability: The Adoption of a Risk Based Approach. In: 3rd Annual Conference on Design for Safety. 2007, Berkeley, CA, USA.
• Downes J, Moore C, Incecik A, Stumpf E, McGregor J. Quantative Assessment of the Performance of Alternative Design Decisions in the Accidental Condition. In: 3rd Annual Conference on Design for Safety. 2007, Berkeley, CA, USA.
• Downes J, Collette M, Incecik A. Analysis of hull girder strength in the damaged condition. In: 3rd ASRANet International Colloquium - ASRANet 2006. 2006, Glasgow, UK: ASRANet Ltd.
• McGregor J, Downes J. Structural Design for Survivability. In: 9th International Marine Design Conference: Advancing Marine Design (IMDC). 2006, Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA.
• Downes J, Pu Y. Reliability-based sensitivity analysis of ships. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part M: Journal of Engineering for the Maritime Environment 2005, 219(1), 11-23.
• Downes, J. Structural Analysis and Reliability of High Speed Craft. 2003. University of Newcastle upon Tyne, PhD Thesis, 265.
• Downes J, Pu Y. Reliability Analysis Of The Ultimate Hull Girder Strength Of High Speed Craft. In: First Intenational ASRANet Colloquium. 2002, Glasgow, UK.
• Downes J, Pu Y. Reliability Analysis of the Ultimate Hull Girder Strength of High Speed Craft. In: 1st ASRANet International Colloquium. 2002, Glasgow: ASRANet.