NIKER Project
The project tackles the problem of earthquake-impact on Cultural Heritage (CH) assets starting from basic consideration that efficient protection, with substantial guarantee of compatibility and low-intrusiveness, can only be achieved on the basis of the ‘minimum intervention’ approach. This requires that the potentials of existing materials and components are as much as possible exploited in terms of strength and energy dissipation, and that candidate interventions are validated and optimized under specific, real life conditions.

NIKER Catalogue
NIKER Catalogue is a structured database that links earthquake induced failure mechanisms, construction typologies and materials, interventions and assessment techniques. This aims at knowledge-based optimization of interventions and definition of main design parameters and requirements for materials and intervention techniques.

Project summary


The project tackles the problem of earthquake-impact on Cultural Heritage (CH) assets starting from basic consideration that efficient protection, with substantial guarantee of compatibility and low-intrusiveness, can only be achieved on the basis of the ‘minimum intervention’ approach. This requires that the potentials of existing materials and components are as much as possible exploited in terms of strength and energy dissipation, and that candidate interventions are validated and optimized under specific, real life conditions.

 

At the project start, earthquake-induced failure mechanisms, construction types and materials, intervention and assessment techniques will be cross-correlated with the aim of developing new integrated methodologies with a systemic approach. Traditional materials will be complemented and enhanced by innovative industrial processes (e.g., nano-limes or micro-silica for injection), and new high-performance (e.g. dissipative) elements will be developed. Novel collaborative combinations of them will be tested on structural components (walls, pillars, floors, vaults) and on structural connections (wall-, floor- and roof-to-wall), through which the behaviour of single strengthened elements converges into the global structural response. The envisaged techniques will also be validated on model buildings and subassemblies. Advanced numerical studies will allow to parameterise the results and to derive simple and optimized design procedures. Early warning techniques for intelligent interventions and advanced monitoring techniques for knowledge based assessment and sequential implementation of interventions will also be developed.

 

This bottom-up approach will lead to new integrated materials, technologies and tools for systemic improvement of seismic behaviour of CH assets. The new solutions will be compiled into guidelines for end-users. The participation of research centres, SMEs and Industry, public authority and endusers from different countries, including AC, ICPC and MPC, ensures an increased impact of the research.

Coordinator:

Università degli Studi di Padova 

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