GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Inspiring a new generation of scientists
New Concepts for Structural protection against Earthquake & Noise
To transcend the limitations of existing seismic protection methods.
– Current seismic isolation devices do not provide protection against the vertical component of the seismic excitation.
– Seismic upgrading in existing structures (e.g. historical buildings) is usually prohibitive
– Conventional seismic isolation methods requires large installation/construction costs.
To extend noise protection in the low frequency range methodologies.
– Noise Protection measures in the low-frequency range (below 100Hz) are very poor. Yet a wide class of ground vibrations generated by heavy and high-speed vehicles such as trains and trucks (referred as transit vibration) or construction activities (i.e. dynamic compaction, roadbed compaction, pile driving, blasting) present a frequency spectrum well below 100Hz.
The notion of “meta-materials” refers to natural or artificial materials or structures which exhibit extraordinary properties for inhibiting or conditioning wave propagation in all spatial directions over broad frequency bands and are already finding successful technological applications for high frequency waves (electromagnetic, optical, thermal, ultra-sound), and for wavelengths limited at micro-/mesoscopic scales. These general developments of metamaterials will be further enriched and advanced through novel absorption and isolation concepts, such as negative effective mass and stiffness moduli media and structures, or novel friction and vibro-impact rocking motion based non-linear mechanisms.
Meet our early stage researchers
INSPIRE network will train fellows in wave propagation and wave conditioning, seismic/noise isolation and vibration attenuation concepts. Close collaboration between partners from academia and private sectors is pursued to provide both scientific and transferable skills to our Early Stage Researchers in response to the labor demands of the academic, industrial and private sectors.
ESR02: Design of pile arrays for low-frequency vibration protection in soil
ESR07: Non-linear mechanisms for structural damping
ESR10: “Meta-Pipes”: Designs for protection of pipes and associated structures
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less”
National Technical University of Athens
School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
University of Trento
Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM)
ETH Zurich
Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
Université de Lille
Institut d’Électronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie
Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Division of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering
University of Bologna
Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering
University of Mons
Department of Theoretical Mechanics, Dynamics and Vibrations
Rina Consulting S.p.A.
FIP MEC srl
ADT – OMEGA Consulting Engineers S.A.
Ingenieurgesellschaft Dr.-Ing. Fischbach mbH
