Research is a core activity of S.I.A.R.T. srl integrated with Knowledge Transfer & Innovation. It is fundamental to understand that such activities are not separate but inevitably linked. Research improves the quality of life; develops people; creates new knowledge to address economic and social issues.
S.I.A.R.T. srl has been served as partner for several projects framed in the EU projects related to Composite and Smart Structures.
Below, the EU Research Projects in which S.I.A.R.T. srl took part are exposed.
The proposed project addresses the potential use of appropriate modern seismic protective systems in the preservation and conservation of Mediterranean historical buildings in earthquake prone areas. Modern seismic retrofit techniques applied to existing structures, such as the addition of steel moment resisting frames or reinforced concrete shear walls, waste the historical value of an ancient building because they are aesthetically apparent. Base isolation, which consists of placing isolators and/or dampers at the foundation level, requires only minor structural modifications to the building, especially at the foundation level where they are not aesthetically apparent. As an alternative small size devices could be distributed across the monument to dissipate energy. These devices can eventually be made intelligent (semi active control), provided that their properties be the result of a suitable control process.
The proposed project addresses the potential use of appropriate modern seismic protective systems in the preservation and conservation of Mediterranean historical buildings in earthquake prone areas. Modern seismic retrofit techniques applied to existing structures, such as the addition of steel moment resisting frames or reinforced concrete shear walls, waste the historical value of an ancient building because they are aesthetically apparent. Base isolation, which consists of placing isolators and/or dampers at the foundation level, requires only minor structural modifications to the building, especially at the foundation level where they are not aesthetically apparent. As an alternative small size devices could be distributed across the monument to dissipate energy. These devices can eventually be made intelligent (semi active control), provided that their properties be the result of a suitable control process.
The objective of this project is the development of a sustainable and cost-effective retrofit technology, which will allow non-intrusive rehabilitation of historical monuments in the Mediterranean area. Following the main results achieved on a theoretical and experimental ground within a 5th EU Framework programme project, the two main goals of the present proposal are: 1) to enlarge the geographical area of intervention of the present cooperative effort; 2) to translate the design features arisen from the ongoing project into devices to be actually implemented in some specific cases. In particular, shape memory alloy (SMA) prestressed devices will be used to fasten cracked brick while stone monuments and SMA dampers will be introduced in slender structures as minarets and bell-towers. Three steps are envisaged: a) a thermo-mechanical characterization of two different alloys (the classical Ni-Ti alloy and a Cu-based alloy) in order to avoid a last moment inconsistency between material and application; b) a smart implementation of the material properties into suitable devices; c) the full validation pursued through case studies located in the historical areas of the Mediterranean partners.
POWERAMP will design, manufacture, prototype, and validate through real world pilots energy harvesting speed bumps that capture energy from vehicles that pass over the ramps. Emplaced in areas where speed must be controlled, safety must be increased, or where vehicles must come to a stop, such systems leverage gravity and the kinetic energy of thousands of kilograms moving at high rates of speed to produce energy. Breaking technological barriers associated with patent protected background, POWERAMP will enable the associated SMEs to obtain systems that produce 35kW of continuous power in moderate traffic conditions. This is the equivalent of 200sqm of solar panels or one moderate sized windmill for a footprint of approximately the size of a car and at a fraction of the cost. As such, POWERAMP will provide an enabling technology for Europe to meet its energy and emission reduction goals. POWERAMP will also provide a tool to increase the safety of pedestrians at crossing areas and construction workers at worksites through controlled speed, powered signs, and safety lighting. Europe currently has approximately 8000 pedestrian fatalities on
its roadways each year. Similar to wind, solar, or hydro, POWERAMP will pioneer a new sector of clean energy production - roadway energy harvesting, and will change how we think about roads and how they are integrated into the built environment. A wave of new applications will become possible and an entire job sector will be created.
S.I.A.R.T. srl was also included into a Leonardo da Vinci Project successfully concluded in 2014.
PROJECT 2011-1-TR1-LEO05-27959
Recent earthquakes, especially with high magnitudes re-emphasized the importance of rapid earthquake damage assessment and retrofitting of damaged structures. Especially most of the damage and loss of life in the earthquake regions were the result of weakening effect of the former earthquakes occurred previously. Also the people and the governments weren't prepared to such disasters and couldn’t respond rapid damage assessment and crisis management. After an earthquake, rapid estimation about damaged buildings and the level of damage is very important to facilitate decision-making and planing for earthquake crisis management as well as recovery, rescue, loss estimation and retrofitting of damaged buildings.It is necessary to get prepared for a rapid and knowledge based information response to such an earthquake damage. A new model with an integrated approach will be developed to rapid earthquake damage assessment of building structures. The developed method will use image processing: pre-event imagery data sets and post event near real time imagery for the comparison of pre and post event analysis as a transfer of innovation, RADATT Project. In the new integrated approach building information (building types, structural systems, number of floors, total height, building age, irregularities, foundation system, materials, wall indices and population), geological information (geology, faults, seismicity, topography, liquefaction), and seismic data information (earthquake center, magnitude of earthquake, seismic attenuation) will be integrated with image processing. After completed the project a practical approach will also be developed and engineers & technicians will be trained for rapid earthquake damage assessment of building structures by GIS. By using pre-event data information EARTHQUAKE will also give information about the rapid earthquake safety evaluation of existing building structures before an earthquake disaster. The Italian partner, University of Pavia will transfer the innovation ‘RADATT Project’ to be used image processing part of rapid earthquake damage assessment. Also, main training activities will be performed by University of Pavia, Italy. The new model development (EARTHQUAKE) by considering building information, geological information and seismic data information will be done by BUPIM & ERBIL from Turkey. ARATOS from Greece will participate in adopting the previous system and designing with new features for GIS application as well as application of new developed integrated system for rapid earthquake damage assessment. A pilot region will be selected in Istanbul, Turkey for EARTHQUAKE Project application in field. A book, web-site, DVD, training modules as blended-learning will be produced in the project. At the end of these training courses, the target group will be well developed to avoid the disasters and demolishing in case of earthquakes, they will get prepared for the high magnitudes of earthquakes.