72789 - Structural Strengthening & Rehabilitation

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Civil Engineering (cod. 8895)

    Also valid for Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Civil Engineering (cod. 0930)

Learning outcomes

In the course, the student will know the techniques for the strengthening and rehabilitation of civil structures (buildings and infrastructures), made of reinforced concrete, steel or masonry. The techniques for strengthening in seismic areas will be also studied.

Course contents

The course topics are listed below:

Analysis of masonry historical and monumental buildings:

  • Mechanical properties of masonry constituents: bricks, stones, mortar, natural materials,
  • Mechanics of masonry composite materials: compressive, tensile and shear strength,
  • Analysis of masonry elements as no tension materials,
  • The masonry pier, the lintel beam, the masonry wall,
  • Analytical methods for the calculation of the masonry structure,
  • Limit analysis method for the out of plane overturning of the masonry wall,
  • Numerical analysis of masonry structures: construction of pushover curves,
  • Numerical models: plate elements, frame elements and reticular analogy,
  • Vaulted structures: groin, barrel and dome vaults,
  • Timber beams and timber frames for floors and roofs,
  • NDT investigation of masonry and timber materials,
  • Examples of damaged buildings of L’Aquila city.

Use of innovative composite materials for special structural problems:

  • Fiber reinforced composite materials (FRP),
  • Repair and strengthening of R/C structures with FRP,
  • Repair and seismic enhancement of timber and masonry structures,
  • Innovative constructions with advanced polymer composites,
  • Examples of damaged masonry buildings repair and strengthening.

    Fire Engineering:

  • The fire event: causes, evolution and thermo – mechanical effects,
  • Effect of high temperature on steel, concrete and timber,
  • Design of steel structures with passive fire resistance,
  • Theromechanical damage of concrete,
  • NDT investigation of damaged concrete,
  • Repair of fire damaged concrete structures,
  • Examples of industrial buildings repair case histories.

Readings/Bibliography

Several documents are at disposition of the students by means of AMS Campus distribution lists

Teaching methods

In the module particular emphasis will be given to the practical application of the various design and detailing methods; the treatment includes hints for the critical comparison of the factors capable to produce defects and malfunctioning of the foundation systems.

The practical part of the course includes the discussion of several real structures at the light of the proposed analytical and numerical tools. The students are allowed to use codes and programs for the non-linear analysis of masonry, timber and concrete structures.

The widening of the course themes is promoted by means of the preparation of short theses focused on topics selected by the students on a personal basis; these documents are evaluated in order to define the final examination grade.

The course is based on approximately 60 hours of classroom activity and 120 hours of personal study, including example solving, guidelines reading and Power Point presentations of real case histories.

Assessment methods

The exam is performed with a personal appointment to the candidate all over the year working days.

The candidate can work out selected examples as a part of the final oral examination.

Teaching tools

A huge number of papers and norms are available in electronic format in the AMS Campus website.

They are only asuggestion for a deepening of personal interests of the strudents of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Benedetti