The PhD candidates’ research activities develop along the main scientific lines of structural and geotechnical engineering, maintaining a strong balance between theoretical rigor, advanced modeling, and real-world applications.
Their research addresses key issues related to the safety and resilience of the built environment and infrastructure systems, resulting in publications in leading international indexed journals and presentations at major conferences in the field.
Research Topics
Seismic Risk and Resilience
A significant portion of the research is devoted to the assessment and mitigation of seismic risk, through:
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vulnerability analysis of existing buildings;
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nonlinear modeling of structural systems;
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development of tools for urban resilience planning.
The research integrates advanced theoretical models with applications to real case studies.
Structural Monitoring and Digitalization
PhD candidates develop innovative methods for monitoring structures and infrastructure systems, with particular focus on:
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Structural Health Monitoring techniques;
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integration of sensor data and numerical models;
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model updating and damage identification.
The goal is to support lifecycle management of structures and improve maintenance strategies.
Soil–Structure Interaction and Advanced Geotechnics
Research activities in geotechnical engineering include:
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advanced modeling of soil behavior;
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analysis of soil–structure interaction;
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stability assessment of geotechnical works and infrastructure systems.
These studies combine numerical approaches, parametric analyses, and validation against experimental data.
Innovative Materials and Advanced Mechanical Modeling
Theoretical and numerical models are developed to describe:
Particular attention is devoted to the theoretical consistency of the formulations and their numerical validation.
Collaborations and Internationalization
Research activities are carried out in collaboration with national and international universities and research institutions, as well as with industrial partners.
PhD candidates are involved in applied research projects, undertake research periods abroad, and actively contribute to the international scientific community.
Scientific Output
The current PhD cohorts have produced:
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publications in international indexed journals;
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contributions to national and international conferences;
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original theoretical models and computational tools.
The impact of the research is both methodological and application-oriented