Project title
Novel Integrated Approach for Seismic and Energy Upgrading of Existing Buildings (SupERB)
Funding Program
European Union
Award URL
https://superbcy.com/
Funding code
SupERB
INTEGRATED/0916/0004
Start date
January 1, 2018
Expected Completion
2021-12-31
Description
The SupERB research project is related to the priority sector “Built Environment and Structures”, under the sub-sector “Modern design of structures and infrastructures” covering the focus area ” Upgrading of existing building stock” focusing on the theme “Seismic and Energy upgrading” of the RPF Program “Restart 2016-2020”.
The objective of the SupERB proposal is to develop a holistic and novel methodology for the optimum simultaneous upgrading of existing buildings for seismic resistance and energy efficiency, taking into account economic, technical, geo-location, durability and environmental factors. The objectives of the project provide improved safety against seismic loading and enhanced energy efficiency to reinforced concrete (RC) and load-bearing masonry buildings, which comprise the majority of the building stock in Southern Europe.
As far as the seismic upgrading of RC buildings is concerned, the proposed methodology introduces the concept of increasing the capacity of non-structural components and thus providing them with the integrity to contribute to the seismic resistance capacity of the RC building as a supportive mechanism to the structural one (RC frames formed as a combination of RC columns and beams). Regarding the seismic upgrading of load-bearing masonry buildings, the proposed methodology introduces the concept of increasing the capacity of the load-bearing walls, which in most of the cases lack any shear resistance and thus are vulnerable to seismic loads that introduce horizontal loads to structures. The same approach mentioned above for RC-structures will be used in order to increase the monolithicity of the wall and strengthen areas of weakness.
The objective of the SupERB proposal is to develop a holistic and novel methodology for the optimum simultaneous upgrading of existing buildings for seismic resistance and energy efficiency, taking into account economic, technical, geo-location, durability and environmental factors. The objectives of the project provide improved safety against seismic loading and enhanced energy efficiency to reinforced concrete (RC) and load-bearing masonry buildings, which comprise the majority of the building stock in Southern Europe.
As far as the seismic upgrading of RC buildings is concerned, the proposed methodology introduces the concept of increasing the capacity of non-structural components and thus providing them with the integrity to contribute to the seismic resistance capacity of the RC building as a supportive mechanism to the structural one (RC frames formed as a combination of RC columns and beams). Regarding the seismic upgrading of load-bearing masonry buildings, the proposed methodology introduces the concept of increasing the capacity of the load-bearing walls, which in most of the cases lack any shear resistance and thus are vulnerable to seismic loads that introduce horizontal loads to structures. The same approach mentioned above for RC-structures will be used in order to increase the monolithicity of the wall and strengthen areas of weakness.