VOLUME 4 - Research and Development

Research and development, both on prototypes and on real-scale structures, has been since the beginning of TEC.INN.’s activity the core business for developing innovative solutions for the construction industry.
In the volume are reported the first experimental campaigns on real-scale prestressed concrete beams strengthened with the Béton plaque technique in the laboratory (1987); experimental tests on reinforced concrete samples strengthened with steel plates (1988), and tested under cyclic, static and dynamic loading conditions and after curing the samples under laboratory as well as under different temperatures and humidity conditions to evaluate the effects of curing conditions on structural performance of the strengthening system.
As previously witnessed in the other volumes, also in this one, it is documented a clear change among strengthening techniques, rapidly moving from the use of steel plates to advanced composite materials, through several testing campaign on FRP, many of which in collaboration with different university laboratories, among which the one of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Bologna.
In addition to experimental campaigns on reinforced concrete elements, an intensive experimental campaign has been conducted on masonry and timber elements strengthened with FRP carbon, glass and aramid fibers, in collaboration with the Department of Engineering at the University of Perugia and the Department of Architecture of the University of Venezia.
Another important experimental campaign has interested reinforced concrete elements strengthened using different types of fibers and tested varying curing conditions (temperature, aggressive environment, UVA exposure) to test durability. This campaign was conducted in collaboration with the laboratories of the Material Development Center in Castel Romano – Rome, with economical support of the Scientific and Technological Park – Sitech S.c.a.r.l. of the Umbria region.
Several different anchoring solutions for FRP sheets and bars have been tested and documented in the volume. Another very interesting testing campaign has interested the retrofitting using FRP confinement of high pressure steel hollow pipes: virgin as well as damaged pipes have been strengthened and incredible experimental results have proven the efficiency of such retrofitting technique.
All these experimental-laboratory activity has been fundamental to validate the FRP technology and to further support the design and application of always innovative and up-to-date strengthening and retrofitting solutions implementing advanced composite materials.