DICATECh

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Experimental study and numerical modelling of impacts on granular bed. ESA-CORA-GBF proposal: stress regime within a lunar regolith layer during quasi-static penetration process

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Experimental study on the micromechanics of sands, with focus on the effect of particle roughness, scale and water lubrication effects on the mechanical behaviour of sands

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Experimental studies, in the laboratory and in the field, of the hydraulic, mechanical and thermal behaviour of clays and of the impact of their history and microstructure on their response at both the element and the field scale

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Experimental studies, in the laboratory and in the field, of the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of soft rocks and of the impact of their geological history and microstructure on their response at both the element and the field scale

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Advanced site-specific diagnosis of the landslide mechanisms through smart integration of geological, geomorphological, geophysical and geomatic data with geotechnical investigation data, monitoring data and coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical numerical analyses of the evolution of the slope equilibrium with time, aimed at the development of sustainable mitigation measures for risk reduction

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The hydraulic effects of plant crops, in particular deep-rooted and of high transpiration capacity, on the stability of slopes and on the local climatic conditions, focusing on the mathematical formalization of the phenomena involved in the thermo-hydro-mechanical interaction occurring at the slope-atmosphere interface. Field test and monitoring combined with THM coupled numerical analyses, aiming at devising sustainable nature-based solution for risk reduction

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering
• PE11_4 Engineering of polymers and plastics

Plastic pollution of the natural environment has become a hot social tissue; with global plastic production of 335 million tons in 2016, numerous plastics are released into the environment during their life cycle or are not treated efficiently. To reduce this phenomenon, the market of bio-plastic has grown significantly by providing an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-based plastics. Recent surveys show that the trend in bio-plastics production is growing rapidly so as to change the product composition of conventional Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). In this context, the project aims to understand the behavior of cellulosic-based bio-plastics waste in MSW treatment plants (i.e., combined anaerobic digestion and composting plant, mechanical-biological treatment plant) in order to verify the resilience of such plants to new product compositions of the incoming MSW.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering

Asia has registered a steep growth in population and consumption of goods in the last decades. Similar to other parts of the world, the capability of its socio-economic systems to address the disposal of increasing waste amounts still needs to improve. Dedicated professionals for solid waste management are therefore a most valuable resource in these countries. Building capacities at different educational levels by developing specialized courses and training programs with sustainable governance is one important step to cultivate the professionals of tomorrow. The main objective of the project is to introduce new academic and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) products for teachers and trainers, addressing the most topical waste management issues.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering

The Adriatic-Ionian Region (ADRION) is at the forefront of innovation potential in Circular Economy. The sector covers the economic, social, environmental, and technological aspects of post-consumer materials and among the keywords are waste recycling, material and energy recovery, minimisation of waste generation, industrial symbiosis, and environmental protection. The Apulia Region plays a fundamental role in the ADRION territorial context, acting as a bridge between the Ionian and Adriatic realities. The main objective of this research is to increase the competences and skills of the ADRION countries on the topic of waste management and circular economy through the creation of joint master courses to be delivered at the most important universities of the ADRION countries.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering

Various materials such as ash, mill sludge and Black Liquor are generated in paper mills. Over the years, these wastes have generally been sent to landfill or incinerated according to their characteristics. Among them, Kraft Black Liquor (KBL) is of great importance. KBL is an aqueous solution of lignin residues, hemicelluloses and inorganic chemicals produced during the pulping process. It is sometimes classified as waste even if this definition is wrong in most of the cases where KBL is recovered by using it as fuel in boilers. In this process, the pulping chemicals are recovered and sent again to the cooking process of wood. KBL has more than half of the energy content of the inlet wood. It is generally used as an energy source although recovery boilers are still quite thermally inefficient compared to coal or gas fired power producing ones. In this context, the objective of this research is to investigate an alternative technological pathway to the status quo, based on the use of Supercritical Water Gasification (SCWG). The ambition is to obtain biofuels and chemical products with high added value in the paper production sector.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE5_23 Organic chemistry

Host Professor of the Visiting Professor Valentyna Vitaliivna TKACHUK coming from Lutsk National Technical University (Ucraina) for a period of six months during 2022

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE5_10 Nanomaterials : nanoparticles, nanotubes

PhD collaboration

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE5_18 Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis

agreement for the next year (2023) PhD exchange activity

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE5_14 Coordination chemistry

research collaboration

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, maritime/hydraulic engineering, geotechnics, waste treatment
• PE10_8 Oceanography (physical, chemical, biological)

Coasts around the globe are the interface where all sorts of effluents are issued into the ocean, often in the form of turbulent jets. They not only issue water and sediment, but also carry pollutants and nutrients. Disturbance of dynamics of discharging jets caused by changing effluent characteristics and environmental conditions (sea level rise, coastal vegetation) might have implication for how these scalars mix into the oceans and the pathways they follow, with also consequences for public health, land loss and ecology. The aim of this research is to improve our capability to describe how jets interact with the environment they discharge into, providing useful insights for possible mitigation of undesired and harmful impacts.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, maritime/hydraulic engineering, geotechnics, waste treatment

The interplay among coastal vegetation, sediments and currents is very complex, thus its understanding is paramount to effective estuarine/coastal planning and management. Moreover, the monitoring of vulnerable coastal sites by means of ad hoc surveys and/or fixed stations is helpful in revealing the principal trends and patterns of coastal hydro/morpho-dynamics. Therefore, this research aims mainly at assessing the mutual actions induced by natural vegetation, like salt marshes and seagrass, coastal currents spreading and sediemnt dynamics. The understanding of the mutual influence of all these factors, acting together, is challenging and is a key issue, being strongly related also to flooding and erosion hazards.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE1_21 Application of mathematics in sciences

We investigate the effect of biopolymeric membranes with surrounding fluids, specifically the deformation and fracture properties of biopolymeric membranes under the pressure induced by viscous or potential flow. Our solid models are based on micromechanical considerations. Straightforward applications are, for instance, electroactive polymers in marine environment and animal joints mechanics.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The research, conducted in collaboration with Gaetano Elia, regards the modelling of two- and three-dimensional ground response problems using nonlinear approaches, with the aim of highlighting the topographic, stratigraphic and valley effects in seismic site response analyses.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE1_12 Mathematical physics

We develop models for cell-matrix decohesion and the mechanics of focal adhesion, an example of integrin mediated structures that oversee and guide the mutual interactions between cells and the extra-cellular substratum. We use multi-scale models and homogenization techniques to analyze structural information available at different length scales (form micro to mesoscale) and obtain effective coefficients encoding the intrinsic heterogeneous properties of such systems.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The research, conducted in collaboration with Annamaria di Lernia, regards the numerical modelling of geotechnical structures subjected to cyclic/earthquake loading and dynamic soil-structure interaction problems (e.g. foundations, natural and artificial slopes, retaining structures) using fully coupled finite element approaches implementing advanced soil constitutive models

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The seismic vulnerability of tunnels in structured soils is studied through 2D and 3D finite element modelling, with the aim of guiding the lining design in real cases. The research combines the calibration of advanced elasto-plastic soil models against laboratory data with outputs from parametric studies to highlight the impact of multi-directional earthquake loading and soil structure degradation in correctly predicting the magnitude of the tunnel lining forces

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The research, conducted in collaboration with Annamaria di Lernia and Gaetano Falcone, aims at identifying the influence of the input motion selection strategies and the effect of soil properties variability on the results of advanced ground response analyses using a Monte Carlo approach

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The mechanical behaviour of natural clays and weak rocks is modelled accounting for the features, anisotropy and degradation of soil structure, also in the light of non coaxiality. The structure degradation induces reduction of shear stiffness, related hysteretic dissipation upon cycling and negative hardening. The work aims at developing advanced elasto-plastic constitutive laws benefitting from the theoretical understanding of the cyclic response of clayey materials (e.g. multi-surface kinematic hardening, bounding surface plasticity models) and their extensive validation versus laboratory data

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Advanced hydraulic analysis of the Norwegian networks aimed at the efficient management of the asset and service pressures

ERC sector(s): SH - Social Sciences and Humanities

The project aims at contributing to the implementation of the PED framework for just energy & climate transitions, with a focus on existing neighbourhoods with a remarkable share of both low-quality buildings and low-income households. The development of renewable energy communities will be targeted as a key enabling mechanisms for that purpose

ERC sector(s): SH - Social Sciences and Humanities

The project aims at contributing to the implementation of the PED framework for just energy & climate transitions, with a focus on existing neighbourhoods with a remarkable share of both low-quality buildings and low-income households. The development of renewable energy communities will be targeted as a key enabling mechanisms for that purpose

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The optimization of important structural components - such as beams - has always represented a crucial challenge in architectural and structural design, especially considering how the optimization of certain components often involves the loss of control of structural shapes. In this research, an analytical model for shape optimization is developed. The shape of the test-case, a variable-section beam, is modelled and optimized using two different approaches and solvers: I) MATLAB-GA®, a stochastic, population-based algorithm that randomly searches the optimal solution among population members, by mutation and crossover operators; ii) Gh-Octopus®, a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Optimization solver, which allows the production of optimized trade-off solutions between the extremes of each goal, able to support designers in decision making. The methods combine Computational Geometry and Parametric Design and allow control of the shapes of structural elements while increasing structural performance.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE2_17 Statistical physics (gases)
• PE3_16 Fluid dynamics (physics)
• PE8_9 Materials engineering (biomaterials, metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, ?)

Interaction of non-Brownian particles in a Newtonian fluid. Modelling and numerical simulations.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE3_2 Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter
• PE5_6 Porous materials
• PE8_3 Civil engineering, maritime/hydraulic engineering, geotechnics, waste treatment

Understanding the behavior of aggregate of particles in different regime of deformation with and without water

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

We study the effect of tunnelling beneath masonry buildings through numerical analyses, also assessing the influence of the soil constitutive model on the quality of predicted damage, using the results of centrifuge tests as a benchmark.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The effect of tunnelling-induced displacements on framed buildings is studied through both numerical analyses and centrifuge tests, suitable damage indicators and modification factors area also defined to quickly account for the effects of soil-structure interaction in routine calculations. The effect of the foundation layout, either raft or separate footings, and embedment depth are studied.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

A numerical modelling strategy is conceived for simulating in detail most of the complex phenomena occurring in the proximity of Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) operating in soft soil. The simulation technique is successfully applied for the prediction of real tunnel excavation for the Line C of Rome Metro. A novel Eulerian simulation technique is also defined for reproducing the development of the tunnel face support pressure in Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) TBMs. The operation of those machines is also studied through a small-scale 1g physical model of an EPB excavating in sand. An open source software using the Discrete Element Method has also been improved to allow the simulation of tunnel excavation with an EPB.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The load transfer mechanism determining the efficiency of embedded barriers, either pile or diaphragm walls, used to protect monuments and building from tunnelling-induced displacements, is studied through numerical analyses and monitoring data. A simple non-linear model based on the elastic continuum solution is also devised to carry out quick estimates of the effect of the barrier

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering

Within the frame of the BEST project, a specific analysis of the evolutionary dynamics of the beaches belonging to an Adriatic coastal stretch and the implementation of a smart monitoring system, to be extended to a nearby enclosed basin, are foreseen. The project, as a whole, aims to protect the natural and cultural heritage and restore biodiversity and rural and coastal natural habitats. The activities concern two main aspects, mutually correlated and analyzed in detail in the following, i.e. (i) monitoring of the areas, and (ii) analysis of the evolutive dynamics of the coasts.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering
• PE11_4 Engineering of polymers and plastics

Plastic packaging plays an important role in protecting goods as they pass through the economy and, above all, in reducing food waste and its impact on the climate. However, the current plastic system needs to be corrected, as not all plastic packaging waste is valorized in terms of material and energy recovery. Among them, PET trays, a type of recyclable packaging that allows the incorporation of recycled material directly in its production phase are of great importance. Generally, PET trays are delivered by the user into the plastic bin and then separated from other plastics (i.e., HDPE, PE) in suitable sorting plants. The resulting fraction is at best thermally valorized through the combustion of PLASMIX. Alternatively, PET trays are destined for landfill disposal. The project aims to explore new technologies for mechanical and chemical recycling of PET trays as well as to estimate the environmental impact of recycling.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering
• PE11_5 Engineering of composites and hybrid materials

The research aims to develop new materials derived from end-of-waste or by-products for engineering applications. The materials under investigation include incinerator ash, blast furnace slag and biochar derived from the processing of wood waste. The research also includes the use of life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, transport and use of the new materials to be developed.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering

EDSSs (Environmental Decision Support Systems) are recognised tools that, based on a scientific approach, provide information to policy makers. The development of EDSSs is site-specific and includes a mathematical/software component and one linked to the domain being investigated (e.g. an environmental compartment such as water, sediment). The research aims at the development of EDSSs that are able to model the complex environmental (and social) problem tackled, discretised as a multi-disciplinary reality.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering

Mathematical modelling and process optimisation have become a powerful tool for designing sustainable and efficient waste treatment processes. Fields of investigation include the modelling of anaerobic digestion processes of organic waste or the treatment of contaminated marine sediments such as In-Situ capping. The research aims to develop mathematical models that can predict process behaviour from a solid setting of a real process.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering

The research aims to investigate new biological processes for the treatment of contaminated soils and sediments. Biological processes can be applied individually or in combination with chemical-physical processes.

ERC sector(s): SH - Social Sciences and Humanities

• SH7_9 Energy, transportation and mobility

The purpose of the paper is to analyze the operational performance of a set of17 airlines that operate across Europe in 2008 and 2012, the period that imposed a burden of challenge to airline industry due to severe global economic crisis occurred in 2008.In addition to major carriers in Europe, the sample contains several airlines located in Central and South-East Europe that have been not been broadly investigated in the relevant literature. The study utilizes the standard DEA approach with the inputs consisting of several subsets (resources, costs, capacity, etc), while outputs encompass productivity and economic indices. The results of the model reveal that most of the South-East and Central European airlines are inefficient relative to their western counterparts. Still, these large western airlines tend to be inefficient compared to the major low-cost carriers operating in Europe. Moreover, the model enables obtaining insights into the cause of inefficiency of the airlines with particular implications for improvement in the future. Despite severe economic crisis, the model shows that airlines tend to recover faster than one could even expect it.

ERC sector(s): SH - Social Sciences and Humanities

• SH7_9 Energy, transportation and mobility

The idea of this research starts from an H2020 project (i.e. Syn+Air). The aim is to analyze the mode choice, as well as the variables that affect the travelers? airport access mode choice. For that purpose, we used multinomial logistics (MNL) regression to determine probability of mode choice given various multimodal chain alternatives. The inputs of the proposed model were based on the answers from the participants of the online survey which was disseminated in Europe. Through more than 2000 answers to the survey, we collected the data related to the factors that influence the airport access mode choice, travelers? attitude, motives for traveling, as well as the socio-demographics of participants. Afterwards, we investigated the influence of the main factors that have an impact on the non-coordination in the multimodal travel chain. The obtained results highlight the impact of the main factors affecting mode choice when travelling to/from airports.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE10_18 Hydrology, water and soil pollution

Heat transfer in fractured porous media is an essential process in the earth system. It is driving mechanism in natural phenomena like geysers, hydrothermal and volcanic systems, as well as in geo-hazards like rockfalls and earthquakes. Further, it is the base for several industrial applications like geothermal systems.Fluid flow in fractured porous media is quite well understood

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering
• PE11_5 Engineering of composites and hybrid materials

Use of waste materials from industrial, agricultural or domestic activities for the production of environmental safe composites in the field of Civil and Construction Engineering. Characterization of mixtures and their applications.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE1_12 Mathematical physics
• PE3_15 Statistical physics: phase transitions, condensed matter systems, models of complex systems

We develop microscopic-based models aiming at the description of the effect of forces, entropic terms and loading rate in a wide range of biological and bioinspired materials and phenomena, such as DNA denaturation, tropollagen fibers, neuronal axons or unfolding in moleculs. Based on the constitutive laws obtained at this microscopic scale, the aim is to derive multiscale equations describing the overall macroscopic response of such systems.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE1_12 Mathematical physics

We develop models where microscopic instabilities can induce nucleation and propagation of defects, fracture and phase transformation phenomena observed in systems such as shape memory nanowires and composite materials. We consider the effects of temperature and the role of local and non-local interactions also including softening mechanisms.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE1_12 Mathematical physics

We develop models for electro-active polymers in order to use them to obtain metamaterials with innovative mechanical properties or in the context of artificial muscles where one can take advantage of their features such as large strain and damage tolerance. Further applications of these systems are related to microfluidics actuators: in this case one can apply a bias voltage to the electroactive polymer in order to control the shape of a microfluidic channel.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE1_12 Mathematical physics

We develop coarse-grained models to predict folding, native states, energy barriers, protein unfolding, mutations and other structural properties of proteins. We aim at the description of phenomena that are out of the range of classical molecular modeling approaches due to the large computational cost: multi-molecular interactions, cyclic behavior under variable external interactions. Within this framework we group the amino acids sequence in a smaller number of elements. Nearest neighbor energy terms are then introduced to reproduce the interaction of such amino acid groups. Nearest and non-nearest neighbor energy terms, inter and intra functional blocks are added to reproduce important properties of the folding-unfolding mechanical response, including the monotonic and cyclic force-elongation behavior.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Research on concrete and asphalt porous pavements with particular regard to aspects related to sustainability

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Research on road infrastructures with particular regard on road safety (geometric features, driving behaviour, safety prediction, advanced statistical modeling) and sustainable mobility infrastructures.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Research on innovations in road infrastructures due to the implementation of automated driving technologies and related issues

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE10_15 Earth observations from space/remote sensing

Object-based horticultural crop under greenhouse identification using stereo imagery of WorldView-3 satellite and Landsat 8 time-series

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE10_15 Earth observations from space/remote sensing

Mapping Greenhouses and Identification of Protected Horticultural Crops Through Object-based Image Analysis and Satellite Imagery Time Series

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE10_15 Earth observations from space/remote sensing

YouthMappers Chapters

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE10_15 Earth observations from space/remote sensing

Copernicus is the European Union's Earth Observation Programme, looking at our planet and its environment for the benefit of Europe?s citizens. As an integral part of the European Space Strategy, the Copernicus Academy has the ambition to develop new tools, to foster exchanges of knowledge as well as cross-border and cross-sectorial collaboration, with a view to contribute to unleashing the vast potential of Copernicus Sentinel data and service information.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE10_15 Earth observations from space/remote sensing

EARSeL is a scientific network of European remote sensing institutes, coming from both academia and the commercial/industrial sector.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_11 Environmental engineering
• PE11_9 Nanomaterials engineering, e.g. nanoparticles, nanoporous materials, 1D & 2D nanomaterials

Development of a synthetic protocol for waste-derived materials (nanostructured cellulose and chitin) for the in situ treatment of contaminated marine sediments. The materials produced are tested for the adsorption of contaminants (heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - PAHs, Polychlorinated biphenyls - PCBs, organic dyes) with the aim of incorporating them into a reactive core mat.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The research investigates different optimization criteria for elastic arches, with a special focus on application to bridges

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Minimum principles are investigated with the aim of determining the contact forces in a random packing of hard frictionless particles

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE1_2 Algebra
• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

The peculiar mechanical behaviour of fissured and scaly clays is investigated through advanced experimental techniques, including X-Ray tomography, Digital Image Correlation and Mercury Intrusion porosimetry, for the full-field measurements of strain localization and for studying the evolution of fabric under loading.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Advanced geo-chemo-mechanical characterization of polluted sub-marine sediments, suitable techniques for soil improvement and remediation are investigated.

ERC sector(s): PE - Physical Sciences and Engineering

• PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics

Development of sustainable solutions for the reuse of bio-waste including sea-shells, sea-grass and other natural fibres in cement mixtures for civil engineering applications