D. Abruzzese

Long life monitoring of historical monuments via Wireless Sensors Network

The permanent monitoring of structural behavior of monuments is a crucial target in the framework of cultural heritage preservation. The paper deals with the monitoring and static risk assessment using the technique of dynamic parameter measurement in a broad Wireless Sensors Network (WSN) system. The historical buildings exposed to the traffic vibration, which can induce stresses inside the material, as well as small seismic actions, are vulnerable. Then a permanent monitoring of the micro-shocks/vibrations is suggested to be applied to the most vulnerable monuments. The use of a WSN requires to provide a robust infrastructure to support the data collecting and decision making before, during, and after a crisis event. When a crisis occurs, through the use of such information collection methods an appropriate plan is dynamically instantiated with the specific details of the crisis.

Monitoring and vibration risk assessment in cultural heritage via Wireless Sensors Network

The monitoring of monuments structural behavior is a subject of crucial importance for cultural heritage preservation. Monitoring and vibration risk assessment in a broad WSN (Wireless Sensors Network) system allows to provide a robust infrastructure to support the data gathering and decision making before, during, and after a crisis event.

Dynamic characterisation and seismic assessment of medieval masonry towers

The paper investigates the dynamic characterisation, the numerical model tuning and the seismic risk assessment of two monumental masonry towers located in Italy: the Capua Cathedral bell tower and the Aversa Cathedral bell tower. Full-scale ambient vibration tests under environmental loads are performed. The modal identification is carried out using techniques of modal extraction in the frequency domain. The refined 3D finite element model (FEM) is calibrated using the in situ investigation survey. The FEM tuning is carried out by varying the mechanical parameters and accounting for the restraint offered by the neighbouring buildings and the role of soil–structure interaction. The assessment of the seismic performance of the bell towers is carried out through a nonlinear static procedure based on the multi-modal pushover analysis and the capacity spectrum method. Through the discussion of the case studies, the paper shows that the modal identification is a reliable technique that can be used in situ for assessing the dynamic behaviour of monumental buildings. By utilising the tuned FEM of the towers, the theoretical fundamental frequencies are determined, which coincide with the previously determined experimental frequencies. The results from seismic performance assessment through a pushover analysis confirm that the masonry towers in this study are particularly vulnerable to strong damage even when subjected to seismic events of moderate intensity.

Proceedings of LSB’s 2010. International seminar on long span cable bridges: design, construction and maintenance

The Seminar has been conceived as post-seminar of the 34th IABSE symposium, Venice, Italy, September 22nd-24th, 2010.The seminar is a short but dense workshop related to long span cable bridges, gathering high level of invited experts from U.S.A., China, Japan. The speakers will bring into the seminar their valuable and tangible experience accumulated in a long professional or academic career in designing, constructing and maintaining special bridges.

Permanent structural health monitoring via remote control

The permanent monitoring of structural health of buildings and bridges is a critical target in the framework of diagnosis and alerting in structural engineering. The paper deals with the monitoring of dynamic and static risk assessment using remote control technologies as technique of dynamic parameter measurement in a wireless sensors network system. The structures, due to the aging decay of the material as well as to the exposition to the traffic vibration, or due to the increasing load, can show stresses inside the material, as well as damage which if accumulated can lead even to partial or total collapse. Then, a permanent monitoring of the micro-shocks/vibrations during the life of the structure is suggested to be applied to the most sensitive and important structures. The use of remote control technologies makes feasible to provide a robust infrastructure to support the data collection and the decision making before, during, and after emergencies.Fatigue problem in steel bridge has been investigated for a long time by structural engineers. Various surface treatments such as shot peening, air-hammer peening, grinding, polishing, can improve the fatigue life of steel component. In recent years, Fluid Bed Peening (FBP) methods are investigated at the university of Rome “Tor Vergata”. Fluid Bed Peening (FBP) as a technique of surface treatments can dramatically improve the fatigue behaviour, and demand less operational parameters. Material tests done by M. Barletta et al. showed FBP can improve the roughness of material surface significantly. The measurements showed the surface properties were significantly improved, and were supposed to increase the fatigue resistance. In this paper, the fatigue behavior of specimens treated by FBP was investigated. The specimens were divided into four different groups: simple (group A), simple and treated by FBP (group B), notched (group C), notched and treated by FBP (group D), and were tested under cyclic constant-amplitude loading. Based on the tests, this paper focused on the improvement effect to the fatigue behavior of the specimens, and also the surface properties were discussed.

Improvement of fatigue behavior of steel component treated by fluid bed peening (FBP)

The permanent monitoring of structural health of buildings and bridges is a critical target in the framework of diagnosis and alerting in structural engineering. The paper deals with the monitoring of dynamic and static risk assessment using remote control technologies as technique of dynamic parameter measurement in a wireless sensors network system. The structures, due to the aging decay of the material as well as to the exposition to the traffic vibration, or due to the increasing load, can show stresses inside the material, as well as damage which if accumulated can lead even to partial or total collapse. Then, a permanent monitoring of the micro-shocks/vibrations during the life of the structure is suggested to be applied to the most sensitive and important structures. The use of remote control technologies makes feasible to provide a robust infrastructure to support the data collection and the decision making before, during, and after emergencies.Fatigue problem in steel bridge has been investigated for a long time by structural engineers. Various surface treatments such as shot peening, air-hammer peening, grinding, polishing, can improve the fatigue life of steel component. In recent years, Fluid Bed Peening (FBP) methods are investigated at the university of Rome “Tor Vergata”. Fluid Bed Peening (FBP) as a technique of surface treatments can dramatically improve the fatigue behaviour, and demand less operational parameters. Material tests done by M. Barletta et al. showed FBP can improve the roughness of material surface significantly. The measurements showed the surface properties were significantly improved, and were supposed to increase the fatigue resistance. In this paper, the fatigue behavior of specimens treated by FBP was investigated. The specimens were divided into four different groups: simple (group A), simple and treated by FBP (group B), notched (group C), notched and treated by FBP (group D), and were tested under cyclic constant-amplitude loading. Based on the tests, this paper focused on the improvement effect to the fatigue behavior of the specimens, and also the surface properties were discussed.

Integrated modeling method for dynamic behavior of ancient pagodas

Dynamic behavior model is essential to the reliability evaluation and restoration scheme of ancient pagodas. In this paper, the identification techniques and the main influence factors on the dynamic behavior of ancient pagodas are discussed, and the modeling method integrated the predominance of parameter forecast, sensitivity analysis, and model updating criteria is developed. The Huqiu Pagoda in Suzhou City, a famous leaning pavilion-style masonry pagoda, was selected as a research case to present the application characteristics of the method. A 3D finite element model of this pagoda has been constructed, and the main structural parameters were updated according to the model updating criteria to match with the measured dynamic characteristics of ambient vibration test to ensure the validity of the model.

BUILDING DESIGN: SUSTAINABILITY AND SOME ENERGETIC AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Abstract In the paper a general overview of the connections between architecture and the field of environmental care is presented. Sustainability is related with the system of human activities, thought as a holistic one: among these, architecture represents a holistic complex itself Energy consumption reduction and pollutant emissions cut down are seen in the light of the maintenance of our health. Building plays an important role in the environmental impact of human acting, therefore it takes many responsibilities on its back. Building impacts on nature in several ways and some data about environmental burdens deriving from activities related to building are given, with a certain stress laid on the Italian state. An overview of the green building philosophy, pointing out the importance of renovation of existing building estate, and some basic aspects of green building design are presented; some examples illustrate the realization of bioarchitectures principles. The acknowledgement by technical standards and rules has been dealt with through short account to give an idea that things are getting going .

Seismic damage and destructive potential of seismic events

This paper has been written within a research framework investigating the destructive potential of seismic events. The elastic response spectra seem insufficient to explain the behaviour of structures subject to large earthquakes in which they experience extensive plastic deformations. Recent works emphasise that there were many difficulties in the definition of a single pararneter linked to the destl-uctive potential of an earthquake. In this work a study on the effect of frequency content on structural damage has been carried out. The behaviour of two different elastoplastic oscillators has been analysed, considering several artificial earthquakes. The results obtained suggest a method for evaluating the destructive seismic potential of an earthquake through the response spectra ad the frequency content of the signal. and through the mechai~ical characteristics of the structures within the analysed area.