Eurocode 8 is the European and Slovenian standard for design of structures for earthquake resistance. P. Fajfar is the representative of Slovenia in the technical committee of CEN, which is responsible for Eurocode 8 (CEN/TC250/SC8). The research team has contributed to the development of the standard at the European level and performed almost the complete work needed for the formal and practical implementation of the standard in Slovenia. Inter alia, two applicative research projects, funded by ARSO - Office of seismology and geology, were performed, aimed at contributing to the rapid and successful implementation of the new standard in practice. One of the projects (COBISS.SI-ID 5223265) dealt with Part 1 of the Eurocode 8, related to new buildings, and the other one (COBISS.SI-ID 4796001]) with Part 3, related to assessment and retrofitting of buildings. A manual for earthquake resistant design of structures according to Eurocode 8 standards (241 pages) was prepared, which includes an overview and interpretation of the theoretical background of Eurocode 8, commentaries on important clauses, and some examples of the application of the standard. The manual represents a part of the manual for the whole set of Eurocodes, published by the Engineering Chamber of Slovenia. Since Slovenia was the first country where the application of new standards Eurocode was mandatory, and therefore relevant international literature was (is) not available, the manual is an indispensable tool for the successful application of Eurocode standards in practice.
F.31 Development of standards
COBISS.SI-ID: 4746081Precast structures are one of the prevailing structural systems that house predominant share of industrial facilities in Europe. Each year 50 millions square meters of these types of buildings are constructed. However, their seismic response has been poorly investigated. Due to lack of appropriate methodology, the assessment of seismic risk for the precast industrial buildings has been based on the engineering feeling. Diverging estimates hindered the development of codes, protective measures and actions after the earthquakes. But first of all, the poor knowledge demanded extreme conservatism in design. Therefore, first versions of Eurocode 8 included very strict requirements for design of precast structures, making this important branch of industry less competitive. In the frame of the two completed and one on-going EU projects a very efficient collaboration between the industry and research organizations was established. Many important practical results and improvements of the competitiveness of this important branch of industry have been obtained. The results of the first project (PRECAST) provided solid background for rational design of industrial precast buildings with strong connections, and a measurable proof that appropriate seismic risk level can be achieved with far more economical design (COBISS.SI-ID 4725089). These achievements resulted in first important changes of the Eurocode 8 standards, making the precast industry more competitive again. In the next project (SAFECAST) the research was focused on the seismic response of the connections between structural elements. The third on-going project (SAFECLADDING) is devoted to the connections between cladding panels and main structural systems, their seismic protection and development of the new solutions. Usually, these connections have not been designed for seismic loading. They experienced huge damage and many failures during recent earthquakes in Italy were observed, causing huge direct and indirect damage. One of the main outcomes of the previous research is the publication (COBISS ID: 6518881), which includes set of practical guidelines for the design of the main structural elements and some types of their mechanical connections (mostly between beams and columns). Such guidelines did not exist before and most of these connections (crucial for seismic safety) have been seldom explicitly designed. Based on these guidelines, further relevant improvements of Eurocode 8 have been drafted. Designers and manufacturers of RC precast structures expressed a special interest to the new procedure for the design of dowel connections, which are the most spread types of connections in precast structures. This procedure was developed at UL FGG based on the extensive experimental and analytical research. The procedures, which were formerly used for the design of dowel connections, were extremely conservative. In some cases the estimated value of the strength was three to four times smaller than the actual value. The strength estimated using the new procedure is more realistic. Thus, the new way of the design will improve the feasibility of this type of connections. Due to the enormous lack of knowledge before the mentioned projects were performed and due to the complexity of the seismic response of precast buildings (particularly connections), further investigations are needed, particularly in the case of connections between cladding panels and main structural systems. This is the main topic of the on-going project (SAFECLADDING). Experimental investigations have beene already completed, and have been usefully employed to describe the basic mechanisms of the response, which were not known at all before these experiments. These results were also used to develop efficient measures for the protection of cladding panels against failure. Different types of seismic restrainers were used for this purpose. Currently we are analysing the seismic demand on this equipment and their inf
F.31 Development of standards
COBISS.SI-ID: 6518881Within the Focus area cultural heritage of the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP FACH), which Roko Žarnić coordinates since 2004, a general opinion about the need for a coordinated approach to documenting European cultural heritage has been developed. This led to a call of FP7 for research in this area. A group of 12 partners from 11 countries, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Poland and Spain established a project consortium led by Roko Žarnić. The consortium successfully proposed a project entitled “EU - CHIC: The European cultural heritage identity card”. Project resulted in a system for collecting and storing data about objects of cultural heritage in Europe and neighboring countries. The system is presented on the active website www.eu-chic.eu. Proposed is a data-entry form on the built heritage in English. Guidelines for preparing data are published in 13 languages: Arab, Croatian, Czech, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Russian, Slovenian and Spanish. On the webpage, an invitation for using the questionnaire and creating the database on objects of built heritage is also published. The project has been completed in 2012, but the data collection and the further development of the card have not stopped. Within the context of the INTERREG IVC HISTCAPE - Historical Assets and Related Landscape, EU - CHIC is used as an example of good practice, and is introduced to the 12 project partners representing regional organizations in the field of cultural heritage protection, which have not been partners of the EU - CHIC. In addition, Roko Žarnić, who has been since 2013 a member of the Advisory Group Horizons 2020, Societal challenge 5: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials, where he is covering the strategic planning of research in the field of cultural heritage, benefits from the experience gained by leading ECTP FACH and EU-CHIC.
D.01 Chairing over/coordinating (international and national) projects
COBISS.SI-ID: 6201441The research team at FGG, involved in earthquake engineering, has for many years successfully collaborated with the NPP Krško in projects related to the seismic safety of NPP facilities and their equipment. Inter alia, we led international consortiums for two large studies of the reevaluation of seismic hazard at the plant site. In recent years, the main work has been associated with independent reviews of projects within the NPP Krško modernization related to seismic safety. After the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, safety of all EU nuclear plants was reviewed, on the basis of a comprehensive and transparent risk assessment (“stress tests”). As a part of this action, NEK prepared in August 2011 the Special Safety Review Interim Report. Our research team was engaged in the independent evaluation of the document Evaluation of Seismic and Flooding Margins. We have critically reviewed the NEK report and requested substantial modifications of the original report, especially related to the treatment of seismic risk. After an iteration procedure, the final report was prepared by NEK, which was approved by the evaluators (COBISS.SI-ID 5620577). More recently, we performed independent evaluations of several projects, conducted by a U.S. company, comprising the determination of floor spectra and structural displacements for all objects of the nuclear island at increased seismic loading (maximum ground acceleration of 0.6g, 0.7g and 0.8g). Floor spectra and displacements were calculated also for the Essential Service Water Intake Structure (ESWIS) and the new building for the new diesel generator. The methods of analysis used and the obtained results were summarized in the new version of the update safety analysis report (USAR). Within the review procedure, we developed, independently of the contractors, the mathematical model of the buildings of the nuclear island and of the diesel generator building and conducted several independent control analyses. A number of review reports have been prepared, of which only some are included in COBISS (COBISS.SI-ID 6465377, 6466401, 6465889, 6465633, 6466657, 6466145, 6466913). The work performed by research time contributes to the seismic safety of the NPP Krško. It would not be possible to achieve a high quality of the review work without the knowledge generated in research in the field of earthquake engineering. For even more successful cooperation, NEK decided, based on our suggestion, to employ D.Celarec. He studied and worked in our research group as a “young researcher” and received his PhD in 2012. D.Celarec will have in NPP Krško an excellent opportunity to apply knowledge and skills gained in doctoral studies. Moreover, B.Brozovič, who was also a “young researcher” in our group and received his PhD in 2013, is presently working on the post-doctoral project Development of procedure for risk-based seismic design of structures important for nuclear safety in cooperation with NEK. Members of the research group were also involved in analysis of durability of engineering barriers and transport mechanisms through the barriers at the planned repository of low and intermediate level radioactive waste, through a project granted by The Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration and through V2―0554 CRP project.
F.17 Transfer of existing technologies, know-how, methods and procedures into practice
COBISS.SI-ID: 6465377We organized an international workshop entitled "Protection of Built Environment Against Earthquakes" (Ljubljana, 27-28 August 2010, http://ice4risk.slo-projekt.info/workshop/). In addition to 15 invited researchers from prestigious foreign universities and institutes, approximately the same number of domestic researchers attended the workshop. The discussion was focused on problems of seismic risk, both in global sense as well as for the specific structural systems such as, for example, masonry, reinforced concrete and steel structures. Expanded and peer-reviewed articles are presented in a book with 338 pages, publisher by Springer. Workshop leader and editor of the book was M.Dolšek. Together with the University of California at Berkeley, we organized the international workshop Performance Based Seismic Engineering - Vision for an Earthquake Resilient Society (Bled, 24 - 27. June 2011, http://bled4.si/). Previous “Bled workshops” (1992; 1997, 2004), organized by P.Fajfar and H.Krawinkler (Stanford University) have traditionally produced widely cited reference books providing vision for the future development of earthquake engineering as foreseen by leading researchers in the field. The 2011 workshop, chaired by M.Fischinger and B.Stojadinović (University of California at Berkeley), built on the experience gained during recent major catastrophes and has provided new ideas and future trends following the recent breakthrough of Performance Based Seismic Engineering in research and practice. In addition to selected domestic participants, the 2011 workshop was attended by 33 invited foreign professionals who belong to the world top in the field of earthquake engineering. The participants developed a common global vision for earthquake engineering and seismic risk management. They produced a book (ISBN 978-94-017-8875-5; M. Fischinger, editor; 496 p), which was published by Springer in 2014 [COBISS.SI-ID 2062695]. The book provides the answers to crucial questions in today’s earthquake engineering. “What changes in the design practice have been brought about by performance-based seismic engineering? What are the critical needs for future advances? What actions should be taken to respond to those needs?” The key answer is that research interests should go beyond the narrow technical aspects and that the seismic resilience (the ability to recover to normal conditions) of society as a whole should become an essential part of the planning and design process. Consequently, the book is of particular interest for all those working at insurance companies, governmental, civil protection and emergency management agencies that are responsible for assessing and planning community resilience. Both workshops and books represent an acknowledgment to the results of the research group and a promotion of Slovenia, of earthquake engineering in Slovenia, and of the University of Ljubljana in the world. Young domestic researchers have established contacts with the most prominent researchers in the field of earthquake engineering from around the world.
C.01 Editorial board of a foreign/international collection of papers/book
COBISS.SI-ID: 5526113