31th cycle - Dottorati di Ricerca - Politecnico di …...(g) assessment of vulnerability of existing buildings in seismic area (e.g. historical centers). Educational objectives The

PhD in STRUCTURAL SEISMIC AND GEOTECHNICAL

ENGINEERING - 31th cycle

Number of scholarship offered 4

DepartmentDIPARTIMENTO DI INGEGNERIA CIVILE EAMBIENTALE

Description of the PhD Programme

General descriptionStructural, Seismic and Geotechnical Engineering - SSGE - consists of the disciplines andtechniques to understand, model and control the behavior of: (a) structural materials (concrete,steel, masonry, composites, bio-materials and materials for micro-systems), (b) structuralsystems (from constructions to bio-mechanical systems and micro-systems), (c) soils and (d)environment-construction interaction. Being deeply-rooted in civil engineering which is by its verynature highly inter-disciplinary, SSGE also focuses on environmental actions, either external(such as earthquakes, vibrations, irradiation, wind and fire) or ensuing from soil-structureinteraction (such as those caused by retained-earth thrust, landslides and water-tablefluctuations). Because of their generality in materials and structural modeling, the methodsdeveloped within the domain of SSGE are also very useful in other technical-scientific domains,whenever understanding and controlling mechanical aspects are necessary to guarantee bothdesign reliability and structural safety, serviceability and durability. Many are the examples oftypical SSGE issues: from tall buildings and bridges to industrial bio-mechanical and micro-electromechanical systems, from off-shore structures and dams to the rehabilitation ofmonumental buildings, from seismic design and structural dynamics to slope stability, tunnelbehavior and foundations, not to mention many issues in common with several branches ofindustrial engineering.

Administrative officeDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering Politecnico di Milano Leonardo Campus Building 5 Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32 20133 Milanoe-mail address: [email protected]

Scholarships and research areasScholarships within this Ph.D. programme respect the national departmental amount and no otherincrements are foreseen. The specific research subject will be assigned to the Ph.D. studentwithin the first months of the Ph.D. activity, upon a mutual agreement between the candidate andthe Academic Board of the Ph.D. programme.The herewith attached subject forms describe

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topics and research ares that Ph.D. students are encouraged to develop.

List of topics and research areasSmart materials and structures Computational mechanics of materials and structures Earthquake engineering and structural dynamics Advanced computational methods for coupledproblems in porous media Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems and micromechanics Structuralanalysis of built heritage Microseismic monitoring of unstable rock slopes Life-cycle performanceof bridges and structures Geotechnical earthquake engineering Computational and experimentalmechanics D-zones and anchorages under severe conditions Cementitious materials andconcrete structure under extreme and exceptional loading - Advanced computational methods forthe simulation of complex flows with moving boundaries - Fire safety of concrete structures.

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ENGINEERING - 31st cycle

Research Field: STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF BUILT HERITAGE

Monthly net income of PhDscholarship (max 36 months)

€ 1020.16In case of a change of the welfare rates during the three-year period, the amount could be modified.

Context of the research activity

Motivation and objectives of the researchin this field

The research program deals with the engineering ofconservation of existing structures, with a focus on thestructural analysis of architectural heritage. In details, thestudy of built heritage is a multi-disciplinary approach,which considers surveying, monitoring, diagnosticinvestigation, structural analysis, experimental tests, non-linear computer modelling, repairing and strengtheningtechniques, etc... The research project will take intoaccount the estimated residual life of existing structuresaffected by damage due to aging, degradation of thematerial (for example caused by aggressive environmentand mechanical effects) and hazard events (such asearthquakes, landslides, soil settlements and foundationfailures), with the objective of developing a methodologyable to evaluate and compare, in terms of safety, reliabilityand cost, different scenarios of maintenance and/orrehabilitation and their applicability on civil or industrialexisting constructions, with a focus on buildings withcultural value, included constructions built in the pastcentury and which already present different levels ofdamage.

Methods and techniques that will bedeveloped and used to carry out theresearch

The followingtopics may be chosen by the candidate forher/his thesis:(a) laboratory experimental research on materialcharacteristics and constitutive laws;(b) survey and monitoring techniques;(c) experimental research and calibration of different Non

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DestructiveTechniques(NDT);(d) modeling of the material deterioration;(e) modeling of material and structural response duringhazardous events and long term behavior;(f) assessment of residual lifetime of deterioratedstructures;(g) assessment of vulnerability of existing buildings inseismic area (e.g. historical centers).

Educational objectives

The candidate will increase her/his expertise in the fieldsof nonlinear mechanics of materials, structural analysis,applied chemistry, statistics and probability, NDTmethods.

Job opportunities

The research is expected to open job opportunities as aresearcher within research institutions (universities,research centers), as field engineer or architect in privatecompanies involved in design, conservation andrehabilitation.

Composition of the research group

2 Full Professors3 Associated Professors5 Assistant Professors0 PhD Students

Name of the research directors Luigi Zanzi, Elsa Garavaglia, Lorenza Petrini

Contacts

Luigi Zanzi - [email protected] tel. +390223994271Elsa Garavaglia - [email protected] tel. +390223994284Lorenza Petrini - [email protected] tel. +390223994307

Website: www.dica.polimi.it

Additional support - Financial aid per PhD student per year (gross amount)

Housing - Foreign Students --

Housing - Out-of-town residents(more than 80Km out of Milano) --

Additional information: educational activity, teaching assistantship, computer availability, desk availability,any other informations

Educational activities (purchase of study books and material, funding for participation to•

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courses, summer schools, workshops and conferences): financial aid per Ph.D. student per

year - The Ph.D. course supports the educational activities of its Ph.D. students with an

additional funding equal to 10% of the scholarship, starting from the second year. In some

cases, students will be allowed to use part of this funding also in the first year.

Teaching assistantship: availability of funding in recognition of support to teaching activities by

the Ph.D. student - Ph.D. students are encouraged to apply, upon prior authorization, to the

calls to support teaching activities at the undegraduate and Master levels at Politecnico, being

paid for that. The teaching assistantship will be limited up to about 40 hours per year, typically

devoted to support classworks and exams.

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Computer availability - Each Ph.D. student has his/her own computer for individual use.•

Desk availability - Each Ph.D. student has his/her own desk, cabinet and locker.•

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Research Field: ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR THE SIMULATION OF

COMPLEX FLOWS WITH MOVING BOUNDARIES





Over the last decades, many works have been developedin order to precisely describe the interactions betweenfluids and structures, especially in the presence ofcomplex evolving boundaries. Recently innovativenumerical techniques have been introduced to face thefluid-structure interaction systems allowing the solution ofreal complex engineering problems. Applications can befound in many fields, starting from civil engineering(landslide-reservoir interaction, casting problems) toindustrial processes (simulation of plasma flow ininterrupters). All these challenging problems arecharacterized by the presence of flows with evolvinginterfaces. Further research is still necessary to efficientlydeal with the complete numerical simulations of all theseproblems.


Advanced numerical techniques based on the Lagrangianfinite element method will be used to tackle theengineering problems. Ad-hoc finite element codes will beproduced. Validation against numerical benchmarks andin complex industrial problem will be considered.

Educational objectivesThe Ph.D. student engaged in this rather interdisciplinaryproject is expected to acquire the ability to tackle complexproblems and to develop effective problem-tailored

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solution procedures.

Job opportunities

There is a growing need for post-docs with specificexpertise in computational mechanics and in integrity-assessment methodologies applicable both to civilengineering structures/infrastructures and to industrialcomponents.



Name of the research directors A. Frangi, M. Cremonesi

Contacts

Attilio Frangi - [email protected] - tel. +390223994213Massimiliano Cremonesi - [email protected] - tel. +390223996230






Educational activities (purchase of study books and material, funding for participation to





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Research Field: FIRE SAFETY OF CONCRETE STRUCTURE





In the last years, fire safety has become a major concernfor a variety of civil structures. Within this framework,concrete structures stand out for a number of peculiarities,ranging from the very complex thermo-mechanicalphenomena taking place in the material upon heating, tothe highly non-linear structural behaviour in fireconditions. As a matter of fact, the severe conditions thatcharacterize real fires caused a number of unexpectedfailures of concrete structures, and thus fostered the needfor further research.The main research topics in this field are the following:(a) investigation on actual fires, in order to highlight theadvantages and shortcomings of the current approachesavailable for modelling fire scenarios;(b) advanced experimental techniques to accuratelycharacterize the thermo-hygro-mechanical behaviour ofconcrete upon heating and subsequent cooling;(c) experimental investigations on small structuralspecimens exposed to heating, in order to set-upinnovative testing techniques that are less demandingthan full-scale tests;(d) numerical simulations on the behaviour of concretestructures subjected to heating and subsequent cooling.


(a) Numerical codes for the simulation of the fire scenario;(b) experimental techniques to characterize materialproperties, and to investigate the structural behaviour ofsmall structural specimens;(c) 2D and 3D numerical codes for the simulation of the

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structural behaviour in fire conditions.


The Ph.D. student is expected to develop multi-disciplinary skills, that will allow him/her to communicatewith researchers from different related fields.

Job opportunities

The most direct career opportunities offered by thisresearch field are within large engineering firms andconsulting companies, where specific task groups aredevoted to fire engineering; however, employment inresearch institutions (universities, public or privateresearch centers) is also possible.



Name of the research directors R. Felicetti, P. Bamonte

Contacts

Roberto Felicetti - [email protected] - tel. +390223994388Patrick Bamonte - [email protected] - tel. +390223994288











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Research Field: D-ZONES AND ANCHORAGES UNDER SEVERE CONDITIONS





Several aspects of reinforced-concrete structures are stillopen to investigation. Among them the strengthening ofexisting members and the coupling of different membersare considered in this research project.Structural strengthening via external bonding of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has become apopular technique all over the world. The performance ofthe interface between FRP and concrete is one of the keyfactors affecting the behavior of the strengthenedstructure. Many experimental and theoretical results areavailable nowadays on the behavior of these bondedinterfaces, but there is still a number of open questionsregarding (a) how the bonded length and the FRC platestiffness affect the behavior of the interface and (b) towhat an extent the local phenomena at the ends of theinterface affect the structural response. Nonetheless veryfew data exist regarding the variation of bond propertiesafter exposure to fire.The coupling of different R/C members and the steel toconcrete connection are often performed by means ofpost- installed rebar or anchors, respectively. In bothcases they aim to transfer externally-applied loads to theconcrete member. Anchors fail in different ways, butanchors pullout from the concrete is the best known, asit represents the biggest concern for structural-engineering applications. In the mid 1980s,unconservative and incorrect formulas for the prediction ofthe pullout capacity were proposed, on the basis of thetheory of plasticity. Later, progressive crack propagation

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along a single fractured surface was recognized as thedriving force behind headed-anchors pull-out, and linear-elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) allowed to work out theso-called CCD method (Concrete Capacity Designformula, by Fuchs et al., 1995)].However, several aspects are not considered, yet, like thebehavior of anchors and post-installed rebar underseismic action or the modifications of strut-and-tiemechanism in D- regions or R/C elements induced by ananchor.


Both the FRP layers bonded to the concrete and theanchors embedded in the concrete need suitablenumerical models to be developed, in order to investigatethe shear- stress distribution at the interface in the formercase and the load-displacement response in the lattercase, under both static and dynamic loads. In the former case, appropriate bi-linear bond laws will beimplemented. From an experimental point of view, post-installed anchors and rebars will be tested under seismic-type loads, with two components (a shear component andan axial component) or in real scale beam-to-column andcolumn-to-foundation nodes. Anchors behavior will bealso modeled by means of 3-D FE codes.


Concrete and Reinforced-Concrete Mechanics are rathermulti-disciplinary, since many and different topics areinvolved (materials, structures, technological aspects,structural design, testing, modeling,..). Consequently, thecandidate will not only have the opportunity to contributeto the broadening of the knowledge in one or moredirections, but will have also an insight into a variety ofproblems, with high technical and socio-economicalimpact.

Job opportunities

An in-depth research activity in the field of concrete andR/C mechanics is a sound basis for understanding andmastering not only concrete-related phenomena, but alsothe structural behavior in a broad sense, that are used

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today in a variety of applications. The opportunities arebasically the same as for any structural engineer, but witha plus granted by a large-spectrum formation. In addition,the specific knowledge in the field of post-installedconnection can guarantee a career in the R&Ddepartment of anchor manufacturing companies.



Name of the research directors Gianpaolo Rosati

Contacts

Gianpaolo Rosati - [email protected] - tel. +390223994377











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Research Field: CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS AND CONCRETE STRUCTURES UNDER

EXTREME AND EXCEPTIONAL LOADING





Concrete, reinforced/prestressed concrete and advancedcementitious composites are so extensively used todaythat many are the structures exposed to either extremeenvironmental conditions (high corrosion, high/lowtemperature) or exceptional loads (fire, explosions,vehicle impact, bombing, natural disasters). Hence,improving structural durability, also, e.g., through the useof tailored engineered self healing techniques andpreventing progressive structural failures is becoming oneof the imperatives for structural engineering and code-writing bodies. The quantitative assessment of damage inany structure exposed to extreme and exceptional loads isa basic step for risk-mitigation design. To this purpose,non-standard experimental techniques, accurate materialmodels and advanced computational approaches shouldbe developed.


Both experimental techniques and numerical methods areneeded to solve the still-open problems in severely-corroded or fire/blast-damaged structures. For instance,assessing the decay of bar-concrete bond under chlorideattack, or quantifying the healing capacity of cementitiouscomposites, requires special techniques and equipmentsto simulate different exposure conditions, accelerate theireffects, e.g. in terms of corrosion rate, recovery ofperformance, and to quantify the related effects. Testing

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concrete at high temperature needs split-tube furnaces tobe designed and constructed. Investigating materials andstructural behaviors under blast requires special deviceslike shock tubes or scaled experimental models.Evaluating fracture energy and size effect in concretestructures requires special specimens. Assessingconcrete damage via non- destructive test methods basedon concrete colorimetry, ultrasounds and x-rays, as wellas linking concrete fresh-state properties to those afterhardening are bringing in advanced techniques. At thesame time, adequate theoretical and numerical models atthe meso-structural and structural level are beingdeveloped, to be implemented into available FE codes.


Designing concrete structures for durability, fire proofingand blast resistance requires a multi-disciplinaryapproach, since many and different topics are involved(materials, structures, human and structural safety, heattransfer, diffusion of chemical products, chemistry ofcombustion, chemistry of concrete, fluid-structureinteraction). Consequently, the candidate will not onlyhave the opportunity to contribute to the broadening of theknowledge in one or more directions, but will have also aninsight into a variety of problems, with high technical andsocio-economical impact.

Job opportunities

In-depth research activities concerning the mechanicalenvironment-induced decay of structural materials andconstructions is a sound basis for understanding andmastering not only corrosion, fire, and blast-relatedevents, but any incident that may regard other scenariosrelated to the safety of large and socially-relevantstructures. The job opportunities are basically the sameas for structural engineers (universities, public and privateresearch centers, large engineering firms, consulting andinsurance companies), but with a plus granted by a large-spectrum formation.

Composition of the research group3 Full Professors3 Associated Professors4 Assistant Professors

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3 PhD StudentsName of the research directors Marco di Prisco

Contacts

Marco di Prisco - [email protected] - tel. +390223994400











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Research Field: COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS





The proposed subject represents an advanced topicformulti-disciplinary research activities, involvingexpertisein engineering, physics, and medicine. Onebiennialproject (5 per mille Politecnico, 80.000,00), andanother grant for equipment (Fondazione Banca delMonte) have been achieved on this topic by Dr. R. Fedeleand are now concluded. The CARIPLO projectcoordinated by Prof. Mariani and granted for the next twoyears will include also X-ray microCT investigations onpolymeric foam samples.The main innovative content isrepresented by the information provided through X-raysmicroCT, which, if properly analysed through computertools, advanced mechanical models and inverse analyses,can represent a sound basis, not only qualitative but trulyquantitative, for characterization and modeling ofmaterials and constructs at different scales.


The subject in point will combine non-conventionalexperiments, mathematical modeling in a frameworkartlessy multi-scale, and inverse analyses in a sequence(3D Digital Image Correlation, parameter identification). Inparticular, X-ray computed microtomography will allowone to reconstruct the inner (bulk) microstructure ofheterogeneous samples, possibly evolving under complexloading.Moreover, conventional experimental techniquesat themacroscale, so far applied in engineering and to bepossibly improved, will be considered for a crossvalidation.

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The main objective from an educational standpoint isrepresented by a full-immersion training into the world ofexperiments, computer simulations and multidisciplinaryapplications, rooted into the knowledge of computationalmechanics, advanced technologies and matter physics. Adoctoral course on this subject was activated two yearsago.

Job opportunities

From the standpoint of academic career, the work in thismultidisciplinary topic will allow Ph.D. students to achievea wide preparation, both experimental and numerical,oriented to a variety of engineering and biomedicalapplications, that is expected to be greatly appreciated bymany research groups in Europe and in the US.Lately,one post-doc co-worker found a research positionabroad.Also private enterprises will appreciate thisexpertise, at the frontier between several disciplines andespecially suitable for R&D activities.



Name of the research directors R. Fedele, S. Mariani

Contacts

Roberto Fedele - [email protected] - tel. +390223994275Stefano Mariani - [email protected] - tel. +390223994279





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Research Field: LIFE-CYCLE PERFORMANCE OF BRIDGES AND STRUCTURES





The aim of this research project is extending/optimizingthe lifetime of bridges and structures experiencingdamage due to material degradation (caused e.g. bycorrosion), extreme events (e.g. earthquakes) or heavysustained and repeated loads (e.g. high stress andfatigue).The following topics may be selected by the candidate forher/his thesis:(a) residual lifetime of concrete structures undercorrosion;(b) methodologies and procedures for life-cycle analysis,design, and optimization of bridges and civil structures,including maintenance planning and decommissioning;(c) assessment of lifetime seismic performance ofstructures and infrastructures;(d) modeling of damaged cables behavior;(e) assessment of residual load bearing capacity ofbridges suspended by damaged cables.


Topics (a, b, c) will include criteria and methods formodeling of damage effects in corroded structures andnumerical implementation by means of both in-housespecialized programs and commercial finite elementcodes. These topics will be based on performance-basedtechniques for lifetime assessment and optimization ofbridges and structures. The attainment of the objectives(d, e) will require both theoretical modeling of corrodedwires/ropes/cables and numerical non-linear analysis ofsystems suspended by corroded cables.

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The proposed research activities are multi-disciplinary andinvolve several research fields, such as mechanics ofmaterials and structures, material degradation processes,structural safety and reliability, risk analysis, structuralrobustness, and seismic resilience, among others. A solidknowledge and expertise in the fields of nonlinearmechanics of materials, structural analysis methods,applied chemistry, statistics and probability, arerequested.

Job opportunities

Job opportunities are available in companies involved inthe design and retrofitting of bridges and buildings and inpublic authorities involved in life-cycle assessment andoptimization of structures and infrastructure networks.



Name of the research directors F. Biondini, P. G. Malerba

Contacts

Fabio Biondini - [email protected] - tel. +390223994394Pier Giorgio Malerba - [email protected] - tel. +390223994397










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Research Field: GEOTECHNICAL EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING





In most recent earthquakes, widespread damage wasinduced by soil instability and soil-structure interactionproblems. The main objectives of research in this field arethe following:(a) advanced numerical and experimental techniques tostudy dynamic soil behavior for improved seismiccharacterization of sites, including slope stability andliquefaction;(b) investigation of the role of nonlinear dynamic soil-structure interaction on the seismic response ofstructures;(c) high-performance numerical approaches to studyseismic wave propagation from the seismic source to thestructure;(d) investigations for improved seismic actions for design.


(a) 2D and 3D numerical codes for seismic wavepropagation in the linear and nonlinear range;(b) analytical and numerical methods for nonlinear soil-structure interaction analyses;(c) macroelement constitutive approaches forshallow/deep foundations.


The Ph.D. student is expected to develop multi-disciplinary skills, that will allow him/her to communicatewith researchers from different related fields, such asseismologists, geologists, earthquake and geotechnicalengineers.

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Job opportunities

The most direct career opportunities offered by thisresearch field are within research institutions (universities,public or private research centers), large engineeringfirms and consulting companies.



Name of the research directors C. di Prisco, R. Paolucci

Contacts

Claudio di Prisco - [email protected] - tel. +390223994298Roberto Paolucci - [email protected] - tel. +390223994353











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Research Field: MICRO ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND MICROMECHANICS





Studying, designing, testing and numerical modelling ofMicro- and Nano- Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS,NEMS) is quite demanding, since MEMS and NEMS arehighly sophisticated devices, where electronics is coupledwith mechanical parts to the purpose of creating micro-and nano-sensors, micro- and nano-actuators, as well asmicro-fluidic devices. MEMS are commonly used inautomotive, aerospace and consumer-orientedengineering. Other fields will take advantage of thesedevices in the next future, like structural engineering,where MEMS may be used for monitoring and self-actuation and biomedical engineering. Strictly related tothe field of MEMS are issues related to micromechanics ofmaterials and structures.


MEMS-oriented research needs a highly multi-disciplinaryapproach and a deep knowledge of the fundamentals ofphysics, mechanics and electronics, as well as a certainfamiliarity with todays sophisticated techniques fornumerical modelling and simulations.


Since the proposed research project is highly multi-disciplinary, the candidate will have the opportunity tocollaborate with a number of laboratories and researchgroups either in the Department of Civil andEnvironmental Engineering or in other Departments of the

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Politecnico di Milano, in industries and in internationalresearch centers. He/she will acquire specializedknowledge on MEMS and their related research fields, likemicromechanics.

Job opportunities

Direct employment in MEMS- and NEMS-researchcenters and industries in Europe and all-over the world.Job opportunities in other fields, where experts in multi-physics problems, micro-mechanics, testing andcomputational methods are requested.



Name of the research directors Alberto Corigliano, Attilio Frangi

Contacts

Alberto Corigliano - [email protected] - tel. +390223994244Attilio Frangi - [email protected] - tel. +390223994213

Websites: www.mems.polimi.it - http://www.lab4mems.upb.ro/ - http://www.go4time.eu/










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Research Field: MICROSEISMIC MONITORING OF UNSTABLE ROCK SLOPES





The use of acoustic emissions in civil engineering is notnew. However, its application to unstable rock slopes formonitoring the intensity of the fracturing activity is still verylittle explored. On the contrary, the application of thistechnology in the oil and gas industry for microseismicmonitoring of hydrocarbon reservoirs stimulated withhydrofracturing techniques has been growing very rapidly.Thus, the objective is to explore the potential of thistechnology in its application to unstable rock slopes withthe perspective of developing an early warningsystem.The research project will take advantage of thelast decade scientific and technological advancementsachieved in the hydrocarbon industry but newdevelopments are expected for tuning the technology forthe specific application. The peculiarity of the environmentof a rockslope requires new studies aimed atunderstanding how the microseismic signals generated byfracturing phenomena can be discriminated by natural noise induced by rainfalls, wind, storms, electromagneticnoise. Seasonal effects related with temperature must bestudied and deconvolved from the data. New algorithmsmust be developed for statistical analysis of these data.Characterization and localization of microseismic eventsis needed in order to feed a database that the earlywarning system will use to detect unusual occurrences ofevents in terms of frequency, intensity, localization orother parameters.

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A sensor network already installed on a rockslope will beavailable for this project. The candidate will have theopportunity to analyze the data of the last year plus thenew data that will be recorded during the Ph.D. period.Possible developments where the candidate will have thechance to contribute are: (a) statistical data analysis and data denoising;(b) analysis of data correlation with meteo events andstudy of seasonal cycles;(c) correlation with strain-gage measurements;(d) lab experiments on small rock specimens to simulatefreeze-thaw cycles and measure microfracturing noise;(e) event localization through traveltime delay analysisand through amplitude analysis;(f) field tomographic experiments to characterize therockslope in terms of seismic velocity and seismicattenuation distribution (the velocity and attenuation fieldare needed for event localization);(g) controlled simulations of small rockfalls to characterizethe microseismic signature of rockfalls;(h) integration with other monitoring systems (e.g.,phogrammetric systems);(i) development of early warning criteria.


The candidate will increase her/his expertise in the fieldsof civil protection, geo-engineering techniques,geophysical data analysis, statistical classification,acoustic emission method, remote sensing methods (e.g.,photogrammetry, GB-SAR), other geophysical and NDTmethods.

Job opportunities

The research is expected to open job opportunities in:research institutions (universities, research centers), public or private organizations involved with civilprotection activities, environmental consulting or servicecompanies, engineering companies offering NDT anddiagnostic services for the civil engineering sector,industries of the hydrocarbon sector.

Composition of the research group 1 Full Professors1 Associated Professors

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2 Assistant Professors1 PhD Students

Name of the research directors Luigi Zanzi

Contacts

Luigi Zanzi - [email protected] - tel. +390223994271











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Research Field: EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS





(a) Modeling of r.c. and steel structures under seismicactions;(b) Safety assessment of isolated industrial buildings;(c) Seismic design of modularized industrial structures;(d) Dynamics of systems with geometrical and mechanicalnonlinearities;(e) Dynamics and control of bridges under wind andearthquake forces;(f) Vehicle-structure and pedestrian-structure (e.g.footbridges) interaction;(g) Dynamic response of tall buildings under windexcitation;(h) Dynamic response and seismic design of machinefoundations;(i) Dynamic response of offshore structures (e.g.Submerged Floating Tunnels, Offshore Wind Turbines);(l) Experimental and numerical techniques in dynamicanalysis;(m) Dynamic fluid-structure interaction;(n) Human-induced vibrations of structures.


(a) Numerical procedures for the non-linear dynamicanalysis of structural systems under dynamicenvironmental excitation;(b) Analytical/numerical methods for the estimation of theresponse of uncertain structural systems under randomdynamic excitation;(c) Analytical and numerical methods for the linearresponse of flexible structures to pedestrian-induced

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excitation;(d) Experimental characterization and mathematicalmodeling of human-induced dynamic loading and human-structure dynamic interaction.


The Ph.D. student is expected to develop multi-disciplinary skills, that will allow him/her to communicatewith researchers from different related fields, such asseismologists, geologists, earthquake and geotechnicalengineers.

Job opportunitiesEmployment is possible in research centers and inconsulting companies.



Name of the research directors Ardito, Martinelli, Racic, Mulas, Perotti, Petrini

Contacts

Raffaele Ardito - [email protected] - tel. +390223994272Luca Martinelli - [email protected] - tel. +390223994247Maria Gabriella Mulas - [email protected] - tel. +390223994231Federico Perotti - [email protected] - tel. +390223994229Lorenza Petrini - [email protected] - tel. +390223994307Vitomir Racic - [email protected]









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Research Field: ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR COUPLED PROBLEMS IN

POROUS MEDIA





Coupling is an inherent feature of the engineeringbehaviour of porous materials, and it requires multi-phaseand multi-scale approach for its analysis. The interplayingrole of different physical fields, e.g. electrical, chemical,thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, highly non-linear effects,moving interfaces, and large scale heterogeneities,definitely require numerical methods for their analysis. Inthe past, the bottleneck was given by the hardwarelimitations, while nowadays the most relevant difficultiesare related on the one side to the determination ofcoupled mechanical properties and, on the other side, tothe setup of robust numerical procedures able to copewith multithread and parallel treatment. Specifically, thisproposal focuses on the development of innovativenumerical tools to analyse problems related to thedurability of porous materials, undergoing slow cyclic andfast dynamic or thermal excitation, chemical aggressionand material degradation. The final aim of theinvestigation is life-cycle assessment of engineering andbiological structures made of, or interacting with, porousmaterials. The proposal is inserted into a wider numericaland experimental activity, supported by different Italianand foreigner private companies and public agencies.


Numerical modelling requires moving on with newtechniques, stemming from standard finite element

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approaches, based on approximation methods moreflexible in view of parallel implementation. A balancedcombination of field and laboratory tests will also supportaccurate material characterisation.


The proposed work can contribute to form a completescientific personality. The three basic ingredients ofeducation will combine: theoretical modelling, numericaldevelopments and experimental testing.

Job opportunities

The proposed research project will allow the Ph.D.student to come in contact with a broad family ofgeotechnical/structural/biomechanical problems and to getan in-depth knowledge of different theoretical subjects.Working in this project will be stimulating and will favourhigh-level career profile in advanced fields of engineering.



Name of the research directors A. Pandolfi, D. Sterpi, G. Della Vecchia

Contacts

Anna Pandolfi - [email protected] tel. +390223994217Donatella Sterpi - [email protected] tel. +390223994311Gabriele Della Vecchia - [email protected] tel. +390223994264








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Research Field: COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS OF MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES





New modeling capabilities at both material and structurallevels, and innovative computational procedures arefavoring considerable advances in various fields ofstructural engineering, with important fallouts in industrialapplications. Further research efforts are needed todevelop more accurate and efficient procedures in thefollowing contexts among others:(a) multi-physics problems;(b) nonlinear analyses of structures and industrialcomponents;(c) inverse analyses aimed at calibrating material models;(d) safety assessment of existing ageing structures.


Advances in computational methodologies (by means ofFEM, X-FEM, particle-FEM, and BEM) applied to variouschallenging and present-day engineering problems, alsoin multi-scale contexts; inverse analysis based on physicalmeasurements for damage identification and for materialcharacterization (at various scales).


The Ph.D. student engaged in this rather interdisciplinaryproject is expected to acquire the ability to tackle complexproblems and to develop effective problem-tailoredsolution procedures.

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Job opportunities

There is a growing need for post-docs with specificexpertise in computational mechanics and in integrity-assessment methodologies applicable both to civilengineering structures/infrastructures and to industrialcomponents.



Name of the research directors Claudia Comi, Giorgio Novati, Umberto Perego

Contacts

Claudia Comi - [email protected] - tel. +390223994215Giorgio Novati - [email protected] - tel. +390223994257Umberto Perego - [email protected] - tel. +390223994214











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Research Field: SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES





Sensors and actuators can be conveniently embeddedinto composites to design smart structures, able to self-detect possible local failures or to react in real time tochanging environmental conditions. Smart materials areinstead optimized in their microstructure to tailor theirstiffness, strength, toughness, and then better withstandthe external loadings. Functionally graded and ionicpolymer-metal composites will be adopted in the foreseenexperimental activity.


Computational mechanics: multi-physics approach tomodel the sensing and actuation processes, and thecoupled materials behaviour. Experimental mechanics:embedding sensors into composite plates to build self-sensing, smart structures.


The research field is across materials and structuralengineering. Hence, Ph.D. students are expected todevelop a multidisciplinary approach to the problem.

Job opportunities

Due to the very research-oriented goal of the project,direct employment in research centers or agencies, andindustries all-over the world.

Composition of the research group1 Full Professors1 Associated Professors2 Assistant Professors

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2 PhD StudentsName of the research directors Stefano Mariani, Alberto Taliercio, Matteo Bruggi

Contacts

Stefano Mariani - [email protected] tel. +390223994279Alberto Taliercio - [email protected] tel. +390223994241Matteo Bruggi - [email protected] - tel. +390223994250

Website: www.dica.polimi.it - www.mems.polimi.it










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Documents

31th cycle - Dottorati di Ricerca - Politecnico di …...(g) assessment of vulnerability of existing buildings in seismic area (e.g. historical centers). Educational objectives The