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The M.E.E.T.I.N.G. project will be developed following five main streams here reported:
- RL1: Seismic vulnerability of industrial districts
- RL2: Distributed infrastructures
- RL3: Geology and large scale site effects
- RL4: Preservation and structural diagnosis of cultural heritage
- RL5: Soil liquefaction and other geotechnical aspects
Research Line n°1 ”Seismic vulnerability of industrial districts” will be articulated on the vulnerability of the plants for stocking and transformation of gas and inflammable liquids (deposits and refineries) with the evaluation of the consequences on the population of the explosion phenomena and fires originate from the accidental spillage of inflammable substances from system unit.
The main topics to deepen can therefore be summarized
The definition of the design actions calibrated to the plant type and to their functions.
The evaluation of the indirect effects from the propagation of polluting agents following to an earthquake, which represent an indispensable measure of risk assessment on territorial scale. Such induced effects are closely linked to the collapse conditions that are taking place in the system and to the forecasted induced scenario (dispersion, outbreak, fire, etc.).
The definition of methodologies of risk mitigation regarding the existing industrial systems using reinforce and/or isolation based on innovative techniques, which includes techniques of isolation and artificial dissipation and uses of enhanced composed materials or for the new structures varying the design criteria.
In particular, the petrochemical plants relatively appear a matter of particular interest for their spread on the territory and for the elevated polluting potential, deriving from a consequent fire produced by an earthquake.
Research Line n° 2 “Distributed infrastructures” will concentrate on the action that should be performed to analyze the seismic behavior of structures and infrastructures that are widespread on the territory and to design the intervention of seismic mitigation. The vulnerability of such system will be analyzed combining together the vulnerability of the soil, the foundation and the superstructure. After defining proper seismic scenarios, it will be therefore developed, first, some criteria to classify the main characteristics of the physical environment and the infrastructures to evaluate the seismic risk on a large scale and afterward, for some specific element more complete analyses will be performed adopting the state-of-the art methods in structural and geotechnical engineering to analyse the soil/foundation/superstructure behavior under seismic loadings.
Research Line n° 3 “Geology and large scale site effect” will provide to the project first the morphology of the areas and the main formation that are present in the test sites, including the depth and the characteristic of the bedrock formation from which seismic waves generates. Then, some large scale seismic zonation map will be produced that will be related to a defined seismic scenario, not taking into account of the soil non-linear behavior.
Research Line n° 4 “ Preservation and structural diagnosis of cultural heritage” will provide an advanced ad innovative methodology for the protection of cultural heritage from earthquake adopting from one side the state-of-the-art of the structural diagnostics technologies to evaluate the presence and the vulnerability of cultural structures, and from the other the opportunity of interventions on superstructures using new techniques, aimed at preserving the structural integrity of the structure, that is typically a masonry structure, not modifying its architectural features.
In this case, the techniques are based on the employment of advanced composed material (FRP) for shear reinforcement of walls, vaults and arches, for the confining of elements in masonry mostly compressed. The objective will be caught up through the development of suitable design methodologies and through an extended characterization campaign on the techniques of adjustment /reinforce on models in medium scale and on prototypes in real scale. Contextually, they will be conduct a deepened bibliographical analysis for a careful theoretical study of the participation of reinforce and structural adaptation with woven and bars in FRP.
Previewing the investigation program on gradually increasing levels of analysis, in a first phase of the research some tests of mechanical characterization of the base materials base (bricks, malts, and triplette, tests of adhesion bricks-FRP) will be performed, to the aim to define the main design parameters and to estimate of the influence on the structural response of the reinforced element.
In a second phase tests will be lead on experiences nearly static and dynamic on macro-elements with or without reinforces. Also tests allow to examine various systems of anchorage for reinforces exteriors, systems that cover a particular importance for the prevention of the modality of collapse of the composite system.
Given the variety of the design parameters and the variability of the results, it will be defined a testing program to analyze the minimal number of specimens calibrates for every type of macro-elements. Experimental results will be elaborates to evidence the influence of various variable of the problem on the various aspects (resistance, ductility, mechanisms of collapse, mechanisms of adhesion) of the structural behavior. Results will be employed for the calibration of the analytical models of prediction of the mechanical behavior of the reinforced elements. Moreover, the obtained results will be used to setup the applicative formulations and the design criteria that will concur the drawing up of recommendations and guidelines for the design of the interventions and the evaluation of the reliability and their applicability.
Research Line n° 5 “Soil liquefaction and other geotechnical aspects” will focus on the topic of the liquefaction, that is one of the main geotechnical hazard connected with earthquake. The areas where the occurrence of this phenomenon will be identified adopting conventional procedures based on the knowledge of the main physical and mechanics soil characteristics combined on the knowledge of the seismic hazard. Then special cases will be analyzed with more details, eventually accounting for soil non-linear behavior and its modification of mechanical properties due to repeated cyclic loadings.
