Antanas Žiliukas (Republic of Lithuania) – professor, habilitated Doctor of Technology, engineer, Chairman of the KTU Senate (1992-1996).
Education
1963 – Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (KPI), Faculty of Mechanics, engineer;
1968 – KPI, Doctor of Science;
1989 – S. Korolyov Aviation Institute, Samara, Habilitated Doctor of Science;
1991 – Kaunas University of Technology, Professor.
Professional career and social activities
1968-1991 KPI, KTU, Department of Mechanics of Deformable Bodies, Associate Professor;
1991-2012 KTU, Department of Mechanics of Deformable Bodies, Professor;
1992-2006 KTU, Head of the Department of Mechanics of Deformable Bodies;
1992-1996 Chairman of the KTU Senate;
1996-2006 Member of the KTU Senate;
2000-2013 KTU, Director of the Centre for Mechanics of Strength and Decay;
2000-2003 Chairman of the Qualification Commission of KTU, Mechanical Engineering;
2003-2012 Member of the Qualification Committees of KTU Mechanical Engineering, Transport Engineering, Civil Engineering;
2001-2011 Chairman of the KTU Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Committee;
2006-2011 Member of the Doctoral Committee of KTU Doctoral Degree in Civil Engineering;
Chairman of the Committee of the International Conference “Strength, durability and stability of materials and structures”, 1996-2007 and editor of the publication;
Member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal “Mechanika”, 1993-2012;
Member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal “Aviacija”, 1996-2012;
Member of the European Pressure Equipment Research Council (EPERC), 1999-2012.
Other positions: 1994-2002 Member of the Lithuanian Science Council, 1996-2005 Member of the Lithuanian Academy of Science – Expert, 1993-1996 President of the Conference of Presidents of Senates (Councils) of Lithuanian Study and Research Institutions, 1996-2013 Professor of the Department of Aviation Mechanics at VGTU AGAI.
Pedagogical activities
Prof. A. Žiliukas has established and developed a school of scientific thought in research, focusing on strength and decay mechanics, mechanics of polymers and composites, dynamic strength. Under the supervision of Prof. A. Žiliukas, 12 doctoral dissertations were defended: K. Petkevičius investigated the use of numerical methods for the prediction of limit states of structural elements, V. Senkus carried out the prediction of the strength of composite structures of a glider, L. Nedzinskas investigated the influence of the geometry of a crack and the geometry of the structural elements on the degradation of the structural elements, A. Klimašauskas investigated the assessment of the limit state of the pressure vessels by means of the elastic-plastic degradation criteria, P. Griškevičius investigated the buckling of automotive thin-walled structural elements, N. Meslinas carried out modelling of the strength and degradation of laminated structural elements, N. Keršienė carried out energy-mechanical investigations of the damage and degradation of laminated composites, M. Gintalas investigated the resistance to degradation of structural elements subjected to impact loads, and M. Kukis investigated the strength and stability of honeycomb pressure vessels.
Prof. A. Žiliukas also supervised doctoral students in civil engineering: A. Augonis’ dissertation topic was “Investigation of the Regularities of Concrete Decay under Composite Stresses”, A. Žilinskaitė’s dissertation topic was “Determination of the Stability of Composite Loads Exposed to Open Profile Beams”, and A. Surantas’ dissertation topic was “Investigation of the Strength and Decay Characteristics of Butt-Welded Joints of Tubular Sections of Steel Structures”. The prepared PhDs continue their scientific and professional activities at KTU and beyond.
Professor KTU has prepared and lectured study modules on mechanics of materials, theory of elasticity and plasticity, mechanics of disintegration, theory of reliability in all three study programmes, and has supervised students’ final projects.
As a member of the university’s qualification committees and later doctoral committees, he initiated and participated in the development and improvement of doctoral study programmes. Participated in the development and improvement of KTU Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes.
Textbooks published:
Mechanics of Deformable Bodies. Kaunas. Technologija, 1995, Part 1, 1996, Part 2.
Aircraft Technical Diagnostics and Reliability. Kaunas. Technologija, 1998.
Mechanics of Materials. Kaunas, Technologija, 2004.
Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity. Vilnius, VPI Publishing House, 2008.
Mechanics of collapse. Kaunas. Technologija, 2008.
He is also the author of educational books and was the head of the author group of the Dictionary of Mechanical Terms.
Scientific activities
Žiliukas’s main research interests were in the fields of strength and failure mechanics, mechanics of polymers and composites, and dynamic strength.
Published monographs:
Žiliukas A. Mechanics of safety-critical structures. Kaunas, Technologija, 2001.
Žiliukas A. Energomechanics. Kaunas, Technologija, 2003.
Žiliukas A. Strength and Decay Criteria. Kaunas, Technologija, 2006.
Žiliukas A. Strength an fracture criteria. UK EMAS Publishing, 2011.
Other scientific publications:
Prof. A. Žiliukas has authored more than 200 scientific articles (about 30 of them in Web of Science databases), which have been published in Lithuanian and foreign journals and other publications. The results of his scientific work have been regularly presented at scientific conferences in Lithuania and abroad.
Research project activities:
In 2000, Professor Žiliukas founded the Centre for Mechanics of Strength and Decay, where he carried out research work for Lithuanian industry and foreign clients, mechanical testing of materials and structures, provided consultations in the design and operation of facilities, organised conferences and seminars for specialists at various levels.
International projects funded by the EU include “Improving the work of Lithuanian technical support organisations in supporting the activities of atomic safety specialists” and “Improving the work of Lithuanian technical support organisations in the licensing of Ignalina NPP core structural integrity, control systems and equipment ageing management”. Other studies related to the Ignalina NPP were also carried out: “Evaluation of the recommendations made in the safety justification of the accident containment system and the assessment of the dynamic load calculation and load resistance of the accident containment system pools and steam distribution pipelines, of the process of attestation of the equipment of safety critical systems and of the progress of the ageing programme”, “Expertise on the safety assessment of the austenitic pipelines of the cooling system of the RBMK-1500 reactor, which are subject to intercrystalline corrosion cracking due to the application of stresses” etc.
Professor Vileišis was awarded the silver-plated medal of the Mayor of Kaunas Jonas Vileišis for his contribution to the development of education and science in Lithuania and to the promotion of Kaunas.
Educational and other activities
Since 1990, when Lithuanian independence was restored and Kaunas Polytechnic Institute was reorganised into Kaunas University of Technology, A. Žiliukas has been actively involved in the organisation of the new system of studies and science in Lithuanian universities, with a special emphasis on the integration of studies and science. This activity of Professor Žiliukas was echoed in all Lithuanian universities and research institutes and in the formulation of the country’s science policy. He was concerned with the implementation of scientific achievements in industry (e.g. in the field of safety of the Ignalina nuclear power plant) and made efforts to develop both fundamental and applied sciences in Lithuania.
Žiliukas is the founder and patron of the pre-war “Plieno vyrija” (Steel Man) Society, the author of books of prose and poetry, and a member of the Union of Independent Lithuanian Writers.
He was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus for his many years of productive scientific and study activities, and his services to society and the University.
