Robert J. (Bob) Brown

During his 57-year career, R. J. Brown was known for his innovations that made marine pipelining more efficient and much safer. Among these were development of a third-generation vessel capable of double-joining 40-ft sections and a retractable stern ramp improving the efficiency of pipe lay operations. In the Arctic, he built a 2D modeling system for development of the installation methods and procedures and a remote diverless connection system.

Brown pre-assembled 10-mile long pipelines, then bottom-towed them into position offshore. He designed and built some 15 full scale plows, for trenching and burial of subsea pipelines. Later, he applied his engineering skill to design installation techniques for ultra deepwater lines to 8,000-ft water depth. These included 3-D physical models that helped engineers design pipelines efficiently for specific applications. One of Brown’s key accomplishments was the use of a highly accurate 3-D physical model for training contractors’ personnel by demonstrating the hazards during installation of large complex systems with many risers and mooring lines.  He is presently Director of R J Brown Deepwater, a Technip Company.   

Born
17 February 1928
Ashtabula, Ohio 

Ohio University, BS Civil Engineering 1950
Stanford University, MS Civil Engineering 1963