ERCULES

Funder: Project funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3 – Cascade Call related to the Program “Multi-Risk sciEnce for resilienT commUnities undeR a changiNg climate (RETURN)” funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU

Award Number: Cascade Call related to the Program “RESearch and innovation on future Telecommunications systems and networks, to make Italy more smart – Spoke VS3” PE00000005, CUP H93C22000610002;

Start date: 15/07/2024

End date: 31/10/2025

Total NRRP funding for the cascade call: € 2.600.000,00

Total NRRP funding for Unipr: € 80.000,00  

The ERCULES Project aims to develop state- and time-dependent fragility functions for reinforced concrete structures, particularly focusing on critical facilities such as schools, hospitals, and fire stations in Italy. These fragility functions will account for the continuous evolution of material characteristics due to ageing, environmental degradation, and cumulative damage from seismic events. The project also seeks to enhance the understanding of the seismic vulnerability of non-structural components, which are crucial for the functionality of critical facilities during emergencies. By integrating these factors, the project aims to provide more accurate seismic risk assessments and inform better mitigation strategies.

The project is structured into several work packages, starting with a comprehensive review of existing fragility models and methodologies. It will then proceed to collect data on structural and non-structural archetypes, perform probabilistic seismic hazard analyses, and develop new fragility functions. The final phase will involve applying these functions to a case study to demonstrate their effectiveness. This holistic approach ensures that the developed models are robust and applicable to real-world scenarios, ultimately aiding in the decision-making process for seismic risk mitigation.

The University of Parma is involved in the following WP (work-package):

• WP 0.2: Divulgation
• WP 1: Methodology for state- and time-dependent vulnerability assessment
• WP 2: Data collection, definition of archetypes and probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
• WP 5: Illustrative example

Furthermore, the University of Parma coordinates the WP 3: Development of State- and Time-Dependent structural fragility functions

• Department of Engineering and Architecture

• Università degli Studi di Bari
• Università degli Studi del Sannio
• Università degli Studi "Mediterranea" di Reggio Calabria
• Università degli Studi di Salerno

The ERCULES Project expects to produce advanced fragility functions that incorporate both state- and time-dependent factors, providing a more accurate representation of the seismic vulnerability of critical facilities. These functions will help in updating seismic risk maps and developing refined mitigation strategies tailored to the specific vulnerabilities of different building typologies. The project also aims to generate new insights into the degradation and damage accumulation of non-structural components, which are often overlooked in traditional assessments.

Additionally, the project will deliver practical tools and methodologies that can be adopted by government institutions, insurance companies, and other stakeholders to predict annual losses and prioritize investments in seismic risk mitigation. By focusing on both structural and non-structural elements, the ERCULES Project will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of seismic risk, enhancing the resilience and functionality of critical facilities during and after seismic events.

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