Christis Z. Chrysostomou
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Funded Research Projects

No.

Project Title

Role

Start Year

Source of Funding

Total Budget (€)

Budget for Host (€)

1

Retrofitting of RC Buildings with RC infills

Coordinator

2013

Research Promotion Foundation

30,000

30,000

2

Seismic Safety and Vulnerability Mitigation of School Buildings

Coordinator

2010

Research Promotion Foundation

160,000

80,000

3

Seismic Strengthening of Deficient RC Buildings Using Ductile Post-Tensioned Metal Strips

Partner

2010

7th Framework Program

500,000

30,000

4

Seismic Retrofitting of RC frames with RC infilling (SERFIN)

Coordinator

2009

7th Framework Program

600,000

600,000

5

Smart Management for sustainable Human Environment (SmartEN) ITN

Member of CUT team

2009

7th Framework Program

3,700,000

640,000

6

Earthquake Model of the Middle East Region (EMME)

Partner

2009

Japanese Tobacco Industries

2,000,000

17,000

7

Seismic Vulnerability and Strengthening of Existing Privately Owned Buildings

Coordinator

2008

Research Promotion Foundation

140,000

48,000

8

Earthquake Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Monuments

Partner

2008

European Commission

215,000

80,000

9

Training of Civil Engineers on Post-Earthquake Safety Assessment of Damaged Buildings (TRIPOD)

Partner

2006

Leonardo Da Vinci

500,000

75,000

10

Wide-Range Non-Intrusive devices toward Conservation of Historical Monuments in the Mediterranean Area (WIND-CHIME)

Partner

2004

6th Framework Program

1,000,000

160,000

11

Seismic performance assessment and rehabilitation (SPEAR)

Partner

2002

5th Framework Program

900,000

78,000

12

Hazard analysis of the City of Nicosia

Associate Partner

2002

UNOPS

-

55,000

13

Conservation of Historical Mediterranean Sites by Innovative Seismic-Protection Techniques (CHIME)

Partner

2000

5th Framework Program

800,000

160,000

14

Restoration and Maintenance of Traditional Settlements

Associate Partner

2000

UNOPS

76,000

76,000

 

Brief Details of Funded Research Projects

Retrofitting of RC Buildings with RC infills


CONSORTIUM:

Cyprus University of Technology (CY, coordinator)
Ecole Centrale de Nantes (FR)

Summary: The construction of new walls is the most effective and economic method for retrofitting multi-storey reinforced concrete buildings, especially those with pilotis (soft-storey). Recent full scale experiments (SERFIN) have demonstrated that this method of retrofitting is a viable method. Nevertheless, there is no formal method for designing such structures. In order to fill this gap the following objectives were specified: a) evaluate the effectiveness of strengthening of existing deficient (no seismic design) RC frames using both existing experimental data and analytical work, b) examine the suitability of sophisticated and simpler analytical models in capturing the experimental response of strengthened RC frames, c) evaluate the effect of strengthening on the vulnerability of RC frames, and d) propose guidelines for effective strengthening of RC frames using RC infills.

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Comparison of experimental vs analytical response of the tested specimen



Seismic Safety and Vulnerability Mitigation of School Buildings


CONSORTIUM:

Cyprus University of Technology (CY, coordinator)
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR)
SignalGeneriX ltd (CY)
Technical Services of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus (CY)


Summary : The Cyprus State acting in a pioneering way decided the seismic retrofitting of all school buildings by investing large sums. The questions raised are how effective the measures taken are and how this investment is maintained with the least possible cost.

To answer the above questions the following objectives were specified: a) propose a methodology for examining the effectiveness of retrofitting in increasing the seismic safety and reducing the vulnerability of schools, b) use of in-situ measurements for the updating of mathematical models of structures and c) propose a methodology for rational decision making for future strengthening, taking into account economic and technical factors.

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Optimum retrofit level for Nurseries (left) and Primary Schools (right) for various intensity levels


Seismic Strengthening of Deficient RC Buildings Using Ductile Post-Tensioned Metal Strips


CONSORTIUM:

University of Sheffield (UK, coordinator)
Cyprus University of Technology (CY)
The University of East London (UK)
Istanbul Technical University (TR)
Technical University of Iasi (RO)
University of Girona (ESP)
University of Nevada – Reno (US)

Summary : The effectiveness of a novel Post-Tensioned Metal Strapping (PTMS) technique at enhancing the seismic behavior of a substandard RC building was investigated through full-scale, shake-table tests during the EU-funded project BANDIT. The building had inadequate reinforcement detailing in columns and joints to replicate old construction practices. After the bare building was initially damaged significantly, it was repaired and strengthened with PTMS to perform additional seismic tests. The PTMS technique improved considerably the seismic performance of the tested building. While the bare building experienced critical damage at an earthquake of PGA = 0.15 g, the PTMS-strengthened building sustained a PGA = 0.35 g earthquake without compromising stability.

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Specimen reinforced with metal straps


Seismic Retrofitting of RC frames with RC infilling (SERFIN)


CONSORTIUM:

Cyprus University of Technology (CY, coordinator)
University of Cyprus (CY)
University of Nantes (FR)
Denco (GR)

Summary : The construction of new walls is the most effective and economic method for retrofitting multi-storey reinforced concrete buildings, especially those with Pilotis (soft-storey). Their structural and economic effectiveness increases when they result from infilling with RC a bay of an existing frame. Due to the practical difficulties of testing large specimens with high force resistance, only one- or two-storey specimens of such a system have been tested up-to-date. Because of this lack of knowledge EC8 Part 3 does not cover this technique despite its cost-effectiveness and popularity.

In order to start filling this gap of knowledge, it is proposed to study experimentally the effectiveness of seismic retrofitting of multi-storey multi-bay RC frame buildings by converting selected bays into new walls through infilling with RC. The full-scale test specimens will have the central bay infilled with RC wall. The specimens will be subjected to ground motions compatible with a target spectrum at different levels of peak ground acceleration.  A test structure is proposed consisting of two parallel retrofitted frames, to be tested with the pseudo-dynamic method. The main parameters of the test structure will be the connection between the RC infill and the surrounding RC frame and the percentage of the reinforcement in the RC infill. The effect of these parameters will be studied during the experiment, by using different connection details and reinforcement percentages for the two infilled frames and/or at their different storeys.

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                                          (a)                                                                                                                           (b)
(a) Elevation of the specimen in the ELSA lab, (b) Base shear Vs Top displacement when subjected to a 0.25g acceleration


Smart Management for sustainable Human Environment (SmartEN) ITN


CONSORTIUM:

Cyprus University of Technology (CY, coordinator Prof. Toula Onoufriou)
Research Academic Computer Technology Institute (GR)
Imperial College London (UK)
Research and Education Laboratory in Information Technologies (GR)
University of Surrey (UK)
University of Pavia (IT)
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (GER)
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research for Industry (SUI)
Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications (FR)

Summary : There are increasing concerns regarding the environmental impact of human actions, the use of the environment and climate changes. These are coupled with ageing infrastructure systems, continuously growing and changing demands on the built and natural environments as well as limited financial and depleting natural resources. Until now, research has been focused on the development of proactive risk-based approaches for civil infrastructure reliability and management with benefits in improved performance, safety and cost. However, there are significant uncertainties associated with the various predictive models directly affecting the quality of the decision making mainly due to the limited amount of information available on the condition, demands and actual performance of various systems.

Recently, a new generation of miniature wireless sensor platforms which utilize novel digital signal processing has emerged. These can be adopted to obtain large quantities of highly diverse sensor data that are continuously collected over a long period of time from multiple locations providing significant insight on the condition, demands and performance of the system. These developments open up a completely novel area of multidisciplinary research towards the ‘smart’ management of sustainable environment. Even though there are top research institutions working in the field of wireless sensors and others in the civil infrastructure reliability and management, most of the activity is fragmented and there is no significant activity in performing multidisciplinary structured research for developing integrated smart and dynamic systems for effective management of the built and natural environment. The aim of SmartEN is to fill this gap and push innovation through the development of an ITN network that will focus on the development and effective integration of emerging technologies targeting key application areas of current interest to the European Commission and internationally.


Earthquake Model of the Middle East Region (EMME)


CONSORTIUM:

ETH Zurich (coordinator)
Bogazici University (TR)
International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IRN)
Sakarya University (TR)
 Middle East Technical University (TR)
Cyprus University of Technology (CY)
Yamouk University (JOR)
National Disaster Management Authority (PAK)
Atomic Energy Commission of Syria (SYR)
Georgian Academy of Sciences (GEO)
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (AZE)
Institute of Geological Sciences (ARM)

http://www.emme-gem.org/

Summary: EMME (Earthquake Model of the Middle East Region) aims at the assessment of earthquake hazard, the associated risk in terms of structural damages, casualties and economic losses and also at the evaluation of the effects of relevant mitigation measures in the Middle East region in concert with the aims and tools of GEM. The EMME project will encompass several modules such as the Hazard Module, Seismic Risk Module, Socio- Economic Loss Module and the development of an IT infrastructure or platform for the integration and application of modules under consideration. The methodologies and software developments within the context of EMME will be compatible with GEM in order to enable the integration process.  As such, a comprehensive interaction between the two projects is foreseen.

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Vulnerability curves for mid-rise RC buildings with limited seismic design in Cyprus


Seismic Vulnerability and Strengthening of Existing Privately Owned Buildings


CONSORTIUM:

Cyprus University of Technology (CY, coordinator)
University of Cyprus (CY)
University of Patras (GR)
Cyprus Civil Defence (CY)

Summary: As the population of existing buildings in Cyprus and worldwide is aging, there is an increased need to develop methodologies and tools for the evaluation of such structures and finding economically viable solutions adapted to local conditions. This need becomes more urgent when external factors, such as earthquakes and other natural disasters, threaten, beyond the physical damage, the buildings and their inhabitants.

To meet the above requirements, the following objectives were set: a) determine the size of the problem presented to private buildings of Cyprus and particularly in Limassol, b) propose a methodology for rational decision-making for the upgrade of building-groups, taking into account economic, technical and local factors, and c) propose a financial-aid program for the upgrading of privately-owned buildings.

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Bending damage indices for columns (mean values) for damage level “Significant Damage


Earthquake Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Monuments


CONSORTIUM:
Union of Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects (coordinator)
The Scientific and Technical Chamber of Cyprus

Summary: The main objective of this project was to assess earthquake performances of two important historical monuments in Cyprus: St. Nicolas Cathedral in Famagusta and St. Mamas Church in Morphou. These two structures were chosen among all the other structures because of their high cultural value, low maintenance state, as well as relatively risky locations (seismic hazard wise).The applicant Union of Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects and the partner Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber also aim to elevate earthquake risk awareness of their members in particular as well as that of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities through this project.

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Measured mode shape (right) of St. Mamas Church (left) in Morphou, Cyprus


Training of Civil Engineers on Post-Earthquake Safety Assessment of Damaged Buildings (TRIPOD)


CONSORTIUM:

Computer Technology Institute and Press (GR, coordinator)
Technical Chamber of Greece/Department of Western Greece (GR)
Higher Technical Institute of Cyprus (CY)
Department of Civil Protection of Italy (IT)
Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of Bogazici University, Department of Earthquake Engineering (TR)

Summary: In the case of a catastrophic earthquake, the immediate inspection of damaged buildings is an important action with significant social impact. Given the fact that earthquakes cause chaos in the organization of a society and taking into account the immediate need for a large number of skilled staff which will carry out checks of damaged buildings, from past experience it is noted that inspection teams with different levels of experience and expertise are formed in a case by case basis, at the expense of reliability and consistency of the inspection results. The aim of the project TRIPOD was to address these problems by designing and developing a comprehensive educational program (educational methodology and electronic platform) for people involved in building inspections.

Some of the project objectives were:
  • To combine existing methodologies and practices based on the roles of partners and their previous involvement in similar activities in order to create a common, unified core of knowledge about current practices for monitoring aftershocks buildings.
  • To develop a comprehensive training methodology for engineering inspections, consisting of a model course, e-learning tool, and learning content.
  • To develop an electronic learning environment this implements the above.
  • To develop, with the help of e-learning platform 4 pilot courses, in 4 languages and organize on-line pilot training in participating countries based on these subjects.
  • To produce and distribute content in traditional media (independent course in CD-ROM, manual pocket for civil engineers) in 4 languages (English, Greek, Italian, Turkish).

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Wide-Range Non-Intrusive devices toward Conservation of Historical Monuments in the Mediterranean Area (WIND-CHIME)


CONSORTIUM:

Università Degli Studi di Pavia (IT, coordinator)
National Technical University of Greece (GR)
Institut National de la Météorologie (TUN)
Institut National du Patrimoine (TUN)
Jordan University of Science and Technology (JOR)
SIART – Sistemi Informativi per l’ Analyst del Rischio Territoriale ed Ambientale S.R.L. (IT)
SINTEF  - Stiftelsen for Industriell og Teknisk Forsking ved Norges Tekniske Høgskole AS (NO)
Tallinna Tehnikauelikooli Kueberneetika Instituut (EST)
Themos Demetriou – Civil Engineer (CY)
Université de Tlemcen (DZA)
University of Cairo (EGY)

http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/74206_en.html

Summary: The objective of this project is the development of a sustainable and cost-effective retrofit technology, which will allow non-intrusive rehabilitation of historical monuments in the Mediterranean area. Following the main results achieved on a theoretical and experimental ground within a 5th EU Framework programme project, the two main goals of the present proposal are: 1) to enlarge the geographical area of intervention of the present cooperative effort; 2) to translate the design features arisen from the ongoing project into devices to be actually implemented in some specific cases. In particular, shape memory alloy (SMA) pre-stressed devices will be used to fasten cracked brick while stone monuments and SMA dampers will be introduced in slender structures as minarets and bell-towers. Three steps are envisaged: a) a thermo mechanical characterization of two different alloys (the classical Ni-Ti alloy and a Cu- based alloy) in order to avoid a last moment inconsistency between material and application; b) a smart implementation of the material properties into suitable devices; c) the full validation pursued through case studies located in the historical areas of the Mediterranean partners.

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Installation of SMA pre-stressed devices on the Larnaca Aqueduct


Seismic performance assessment and rehabilitation (SPEAR)


CONSORTIUM:

University of Patras (GR, Coordinator)
Università di Roma “La Sapienza” (IT)
Università Degli Studi di Pavia (IT)
University of Ljubljana (SVN)
Commission of the European Communities, JRC Ispra (IT)
Laboratório Nacional De Engenharia Civil (PT)
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (UK)
Higher Technical Institute (CY)
ABS Consulting ltd (UK)

Summary : The project aimed at mitigating the risk posed by seismically unsafe old RC and masonry buildings: a) by assessing existing and developing new assessment methods and by shedding light into the relation between local failure and global collapse and the seismic performance of heavily loaded columns and torsionally unbalanced buildings before or after retrofit, b) by formulating specific proposals for the revision of Eurocode 8, Part 1-4: "Strengthening and Repair", including rules for dimensioning of the retrofitting.

It included 6 workpackages:

1)    Conceptual framework and background of seismic assessment and rehabilitation;
2)    Practical seismic assessment and rehabilitation;
3)    Tests of RC members and small structures;
4)    Pseudodynamic testing of large RC structure;
5)    Proposals for seismic assessment and rehabilitation (for Eurocode 8); and
6)    International cooperation (with USA, Japan and Turkey).

To the above aims the study of infilled frames for their structural use of infill walls was added as a special call for the addition of partners from countries that were at that time at the assessment stage for joining the EU. This allowed the Higher Technical Institute to join the project in 2002.

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Base Shear Vs displacement of control node for rectangular and triangular load distributions 



Hazard analysis of the City of Nicosia


CONSORTIUM:

Geological Survey Department of Cyprus (CY, coordinator)
United States Geological Survey Department (US)

Summary: The study was conducted with the support of the Bi-communal Development Programme, which is funded by USAID and UNDP and is executed by UNOPS. The study area consisted of 223 square kilometers covering the southern portion of the Nicosia urban area. The number of buildings is about 50,000 with a footprint and total area of about 12 million and 22 million square meters, respectively. The objectives of this study were a) to develop an inventory of buildings within the study area, b) to establish the vulnerability of these buildings to various levels of earthquake ground shaking, and c) to estimate the maximum possible earthquake losses that might occur in the study area (catastrophe potential) and average annual earthquake loss. An innovation of this project was that the plan area of the buildings was digitized from satellite images of 1m resolution. The vulnerability of the buildings was obtained by using the European Macroseismic Scale 98 (EMS 98) that classifies earthquake damage into vulnerability classes for various types of structures and various grades of damage. The cost of replacement for the various classes of buildings and different grades of damage was estimated using the descriptions of actual damage in the EMS 98, which compared well with actual data from earthquakes that have occurred in Cyprus. Vulnerability curves for various building classes were defined, which are presented along with the spatial distribution of damage in the study area for various intensities. A reasonable average annual loss of $2.3 million per year, or about 0.016 percent of the total replacement cost of all buildings in the study area, was estimated. For a range of EMS 98 intensities from V to X, occurring throughout the study area, the estimated losses in replacement costs range from $800,000 to $2,700,000,000. The maximum replacement cost losses in a single large damaging earthquake affecting the study area range from $300,000,000 to $1,000,000,000, depending upon the location and magnitude of the earthquake assumed.

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Conservation of Historical Mediterranean Sites by Innovative Seismic-Protection Techniques (CHIME)


CONSORTIUM:

Università Degli Studi di Pavia (IT, coordinator)
Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie (TUN)
Institut National de la Météorologie (TUN)
Institut National du Patrimoine (TUN)
Themos Demetriou – Civil Engineer (CY)
National Technical University of Greece (GR)
SIART – Sistemi Informativi per l’ Analyst del Rischio Territoriale ed Ambientale S.R.L. (IT)
University of Cairo (EGY)

http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/52793_en.html

Summary:  The project addressed the potential use of appropriate modern seismic protective systems in the preservation and conservation of Mediterranean historical buildings in earthquake-prone areas. Modern seismic retrofit techniques applied to existing structures, such as the addition of steel moment resisting frames or reinforced concrete shear-walls, waste the historical value of an ancient building because they are aesthetically apparent. Base isolation, which consists of placing isolators and/or dampers at the foundation level, requires only minor structural modifications to the building, especially at the foundation level where they are not aesthetically apparent. As an alternative small size devices could be distributed across the monument to dissipate energy. These devices can eventually be made intelligent (semi active control), provided that their properties be the result of a suitable control process.

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Proposed solution for the installation of viscous dampers on the Church of St Nicholas in Askas


Restoration and Maintenance of Traditional Settlements


CONSORTIUM:

Cyprus Association of Civil Engineers and Architects (CY, coordinator)
Chamber of Engineers of Turkish Cypriots

Summary: The project was conceived as a joint project of Greek and Turkish Cypriot civil engineers and architects. Four joint teams of five researchers (two architects, one from each community, two civil engineers, one from each community and a fifth person irrespective of discipline or ethnic background) would undertake to study four topics on the subject of restoration and maintenance of traditional settlements with site work on four different locations. The four topics were:

1)    Restoration and maintenance of traditional adobe construction
2)    Restoration and maintenance of traditional stone masonry
3)    Restoration and maintenance of traditional earth flat roofs
4)    Restoration and maintenance of traditional tiled timber roofs

The objective of the four research teams would be the study of Cypriot traditional settlements, the pathology of their structures, proposals for their restoration and maintenance using traditional materials and methods and finding modern replacement materials and methods of the traditional ones. The Bi-communal Development Programme, which is funded with a grant from USAID (United States Agency for International Development) through UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services), was the vehicle that made this project possible. The project resulted in the book entitled “Restoration and Maintenance of Traditional Settlements”.

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