ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Aris Chatzidakis is a Civil Engineer. He graduated, in 1974, from the National Technical University of Athens.

During 1975-1976, he attended the post-graduate course (D.E.A.) “Aménagement du Territoire”, at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’ Hydraulique, at the University of Grenoble.  

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND CAREER
As an independent Civil Engineer he has been mainly involved in the structural design and the supervision of many private works, especially multi-storey housing and commercial buildings.
He has undertaken the structural design of many public buildings, such as:

• the Polychniti Health Center, in Lesvos,
• the Paleontology Science Museum, at Sigri, in Lesvos,
• the renovation of the “Tavros “ and “ K.A.T.”, railway stations, in Athens
• the Library and the Main Amphitheatre, for the University of Crete, in Rethymno, Crete etc.

He has been involved, as a structural and a geotechnical engineer, in many infrastructure projects such as bridges, road works of art and retaining walls, waste water sanitation installations and the design of dams, such us:

• geotechnical study of preliminary and final design of the Dam “Plati” in Rethimno of water pipeline in Mesara valley
• Preliminary and final design of the Dam “Plati” in Rethimno of water pipeline to Mesara valley
• Structural Design for the bridges of southern perimetric bypass of Rethimnon

He has specialized in the structural analysis and design, for the restoration of traditional buildings and monuments such as:

• the “Dorothea” School, built during the Ottoman era, at Trikala (1987),
• the “Ottoman” Mosque (1991) and the Venetian Castle “Kale” (1991), at Ierapetra, Crete
• the ottoman Water Mill, at “Kria”, in Livadia (1992),
• “The Upgrading of the old town of Archanes” in Crete, in collaboration with professor P. Touliatos (1992), which was part of a programme undertaken by the National Technical University of Athens,
• the 1st Primary School (built during the late Turkish period), in the old town of Rethymno, Crete (1995),
• the Minaret at Agios Nikolaos Church, in the Splantzia area, in Chania, Crete (1998)
• the “Souleiman” Mosque and the Agia Kyriaki Church complex with the Minaret in Rhodes, (2002)
• the North Wing of the Arkadi Monastery, in Rethymno, Crete (2000)
• the 32m and 42m high, industrial chimneys, owned by the A.B.E.A. company, in Chania, Crete (2007) etc.

He has been involved, from the position of the directing manager, in the construction of:

• large public building projects e.g. The Faculty of Philosophy Buildings (1993) and the Large Amphitheatre (1998), for the University of Crete, in Rethymno, Crete
• specialized restoration projects e.g. Τhe Folk Museum, in Rethymno (1993),
• the strengthening and restoration of the Minaret, at Agios Nikolaos Church, in the Splantzia area, in Chania, Crete, (1997),
• the restoration of the Lighthouse and Breakwater, in the Venetian Harbour in Chania, Crete (2004). 

INTERNATIONAL, EUROPEAN & NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

• He has participated, for many years, as a member and as the 1st Vice President, on the Directing Board, of the Greek Civil Engineers Association (1981-2009).
• For many years, he has also been a member of the National Assembly, of the Technical Chamber of Greece and also a member of many of its scientific and professional committees.
• He has been the Coordinator of the Standing Committee, on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues in the international relations division of the Technical Chamber of Greece for the period 2010-2016.
• He was member of the group of experts of the TCG dealing with the general Directive1989/48 and the later 2005/36 and the matters arising for the mobility of engineers and equivalence of diplomas and titles.
• Since 1986, he has participated at the European Council of Civil Engineers, ECCE, first as a member of the directing board of AGCE and then as a TCG representative.
• He participated in the Steering committee of ECCE for the general Directive and mobility of engineers.
• He has been a member of the ECCE Executive Board since 2016. He was ECCE Vice President/President Elect for 2016-2018 and ECCE President for 2018-2021.
• He has also taken part in various occasions in the Greek delegation in the FEANI and ECEC Assembly, recently at 2nd Engineers Day and the deregulation issues.
• He is the ECCE representative in the Engineering Association of Mediterranean Countries (EAMC).
• He is also member of the Board of the Organization of the Development of Crete SA and member of Executive Board and Deputy President of The Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (EPPO).

SCIENTIFIC PROFILE

• He has taught principles of structural analysis and design for the restoration of monuments, at seminars organized by the Technical Chamber of Greece, the Greek Architect’s Association and the Greek Civil Engineer’s Association.
• He has participated in congresses, conventions and meetings organized by ICOMOS, the Technical Chamber of Greece, the committee for Medieval Monuments of Rhodes etc., OASP, (The Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (EPPO)), the Consiglio Nationale degli Ingenieri and ECCE, in Naples, etc.
• He has written the book titled «The Masonry Bridges in the Prefecture of Rethymnon», in collaboration with the civil engineer Zoe Evdou, published by the Technical Chamber of Greece / Western Crete Department, in 2003.
• He has published many articles about the history of constructions and civil engineers.