Department of Experimental Techniques
Structural monitoring is a multidisciplinary field that requires expertise in structural, electronic and computer engineering.
The EUCENTRE Foundation is able to design and implement structural monitoring platforms for buildings, infrastructures and industrial plants, optimized and personalized according to the customer’s needs.
In addition, the platform developed by EUCENTRE allows short and long term monitoring, integrating, depending on the needs, traditional electrical sensors (i.e. accelerometers and strain gauge connections) with state-of-the-art sensors based on wireless technologies, optical fiber and/or satellite (GNSS). The data acquired are processed (locally or on cloud) and used within numerical models in order to estimate the structural safety and provide useful information of action.
EUCENTRE can support the customer throughout the phases, from detail design of the monitoring system, to the development of the analysis software and data interpretation, to the installation and final testing of the system.
Structural monitoring of the Cathedral of Pavia
Important Renaissance building includes one of the most significant octagonal vaults of Italy. Affected by various and serious structural pathologies, it has undergone severe reinforcement works for several years, with the installation of a metal hoop and the shoring of the tambour and of the vault. The works were monitored during the entire period by a data acquisition system created by Prof. Macchi and installed by ISMES. EUCENTRE has created and installed the monitoring system currently in use for the long-term control of both relative and absolute displacements.
Structural monitoring of the San Pietro Cathedral
EUCENTRE collaborated to the restoration of the San Pietro Cathedral in Rome when the marble façade was sloping towards the below square, and it was slowly and dangerously rotating. The strengthening work consisted in the installation of a post-tensioning system in order to bring back the façade to its original position. EUCENTRE monitored the entire work and continued the monitoring during the following years.
Structural monitoring of the Malpensa Airport
During the works of enlargement of the airport, tests have been carried out for the dynamic identification with forced excitation on the metal structure of a pedestrian connecting tunnel. The experimental campaign had the dual aim of calibrating the numerical model of the structure and verify the potential impact on the dynamic behavior and possible resonances caused by walking.
