Sviluppo di nuovi materiali, modelli e tecniche di intervento per la conservazione ed il rinforzo delle murature storiche in zona sismica

During the three-years doctorate, my duty as Ph.D. candidate was to be involved in research and training activities. The main research topic is ‘Development of new materials, models and intervention techniques for the reinforcement and the retrofitting of historical masonries in seismic areas’. Particularly, the research aim is dual: (i) developing an advanced lattice discrete numerical model for a better understanding of the quasi-brittle behavior of masonries, (ii) providing experimental campaigns and analytical tools (both at the material and structural levels) for the development of new materials to be used as reinforcement of historical masonry. The importance of investigating on masonry structures was strongly highlighted by the recent major seismic events that affected Italy during the last decades (Abruzzo 2009; Emilia-Romagna 2012; Central Italy 2016). These events, in fact, have confirmed the high seismic hazard of the territory and the high vulnerability of the historic buildings, highlighting the significant constructive deficiencies of the vast architectural heritage, which are often the result of slow processes such as progressive degradation under daily environmental actions (pollutants, thermal effects, etc...). The doctorate program is financed by the European program PON R\&I 2014-2020 (National Operational Program, Research \& Innovation). The schedule of research and training activities is organised considering the collaboration among the University of L'Aquila, a business partner (company AquilaPrem s.r.l., L’Aquila, Italy) for a period of 9 months, and a foreign research partner (Northwestern University, Evanston - Chicago, Illinois) for a period of 18 months.