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Civil & Environmental Engineering, "Promoting the Safety of Pipelines Subject to Landslides"

Francisco Filipe Viana, originally from Coelho Neto, Maranhão, earned his bachelor’s degree in Production
Engineering from the State University of Maranhão and a master’s degree from the Federal University of
Pernambuco (UFPE). He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in Production Engineering at UFPE,
focusing on Risk Analysis for critical infrastructures. His research involves developing Multicriteria Decision
Making and Aid models that integrate human, financial, and environmental risks information, along with
expert knowledges from engineers and decision-makers, for natural gas and hydrogen pipeline systems. This
research is particularly vital as Brazil’s pipeline infrastructure rapidly expands, impacting public safety and
efficient production.

Filipe’s work also addresses the risks and vulnerabilities of pipelines in scenarios of floods and
landslides. This is particularly pertinent as the impacts of natural disasters on Brazil’s infrastructure are not
well understood, and it is unclear which factors most significantly affect societal systems.

Filipe's academic journey included participation in the the Fulbright Science Without Borders program at
Colorado State University, Rutgers University and collaboration with Professor Paolo Gardoni from UIUC on
exploring strategies for Risk Analysis, Resilience, and Hazard Mitigation for natural gas pipelines.

Filipe will begin his postdoctoral training at the MAE Center (creating a Multi-hazard Approach to
Engineering) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UIUC, where he is challenged to
develop mathematical models that consider landslide mechanisms to predict pipeline catastrophic failures.
Filipe mentions that “Currently, about 8.2 million Brazilians live in areas vulnerable to landslides or
combined landslide and flooding. Understanding the complex interplay between climate change and
production systems in Brazil will enable governments, companies, and society to better anticipate, mitigate,
and adapt to impacts that could endanger lives and reduce costs associated with potential accidents”.