Antiseismic
One of T.I.S.'s purposes is the continuous updating of its know-how in order to be constantly competitive for the market and for the relationship involving delicate project decisions. The most active sector is surely the area of structure's seismic protections, in which the greatest number of patents has been developed. In this field, T.I.S. has realized a high number of researches and scientific works by itself as well as within institutional researches.
Some significant examples are:
During 1994-95 it partially financed the ECOEST I research (European Consortium of Earthquake Shaking Tables) with the project and the supply of steel bracing for existing frames retrofit. The research was carried out on shaking table using a 1:4-scale plane model.
In 1996 T.I.S., within an international working group, under the co-ordination of the Servizio Sismico Nazionale (Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri) the MANSIDE project emerged for the employment of SMA materials for civil engineering, in particular for seismic structures protection. 4.000.000 ECU was the total amount financed by the CE with maximum priority within the EuRam/Brite research and development projects. The project, with Italian-Belgian-Swedish-Greek partnerships, has realized an absolute innovative technology, opening new frontiers concerning seismic protections and restraint of structures in general. Devices of new conceptions have been realized, which will be set up shortly.
Moreover, the research produced three new patents, enabling the staff to solve various problems concerning materials employment or technologies and the application methods, giving a unique experience and competence in the civil sector.
During 1998-99 it took part at the ECOEST II research (European Consortium of Earthquake Shaking Tables) with the project and the supply of bracing both in steel and in SMA technology for existing frames retrofit. The study has been carried out on shaking tables using a 1:4 scale tri-dimensional model.
In Rapolla (PZ), the experimental study on two ATER's twin buildings was carried out: one is a conventional structure and the other base-isolated. The experimental study foresees several release tests with the shift of the isolated building up to 15cm and a subsequently release. ATER, Prof. Braga and the DiSGG Basilicata University carried out the tests, in which the comparison of the two isolating technologies was assessed:
- one with rubber isolation
- one with SMA re-centring devices (Shape Memory Alloys)
T.I.S., besides the supply of all the isolation technology, it also delivered the devices and the equipment for the release tests.
Within the rehabilitation of existing buildings, with particular reference to the masonry ones, T.I.S. created an innovative system to improve the structural response, named CAM System("Cucitura Attiva delle Murature"), for which a program in collaboration with the DiSGG Basilicata University has been started for qualification tests.