This module is designed to provide the fundamental principles of the dynamic nature of environmental systems, and to provide students with basic conceptual tools for quantitative analysis of change for the most significant environmental problem areas. The module will provide the student with a unique combination of theoretical and conceptual basis for modelling environmental risks and sustainability, and hands-on knowledge on how to approach the modelling of complex environmental systems, often described as a system of systems with natural and anthropogenic interacting components.
At the end of the module, the student will be able to:
- Frontal lessons
- Case-studies
- Practical exercise developed by the students under the teacher's supervision: the students will perform a seismic risk analysis on different territorial areas (municipalities, provinces, regions) using the IRMA (Italian Risk Maps) platform (developed by EUCENTRE for Civil Protection) to implement the fragility curves of the different types of buildings; estimate the expected damage to buildings (number of collapses and unusable buildings)
1. Risk on the built environment
Introduction to natural disasters and risk elements (hazard, exposure, and vulnerability); Resilience concept and its interdisciplinary applications
2. Seismic Hazard (recall of the basics concepts)
3. Exposure information
Introduction to the people, property, other assets, or systems exposed to seismic hazards
4. Dynamic response of structural systems and seismic action (recall to the basics concepts)
Introduction to the basic concepts of structural dynamics by means of an elementary mathematical model: the SDOF system
5. Vulnerability to earthquakes, part I: seismic response of reinforced concrete (RC) structures
6. Vulnerability to earthquakes, part I: seismic response of masonry structures
7. Vulnerability to earthquakes, part II: fragility curves
Analysis of the different approaches for the derivation of fragility curves: empirical, expert elicitation, numerical and hybrid methods; critical aspects in the derivation; treatment of uncertainties; practical example on the definition of numerical fragility curves
8. Seismic risk reduction policies in the three phases of risk management: pre-event, emergency state, and post-event
Presentation of the three phases of risk management and overview of the different possible risk reduction policies: 1) pre-event (Mitigation efforts and Preparedness – education, emergency management planning); 2) response (Emergency state); 3) post-event (Recovery)
9. Post-earthquake damage survey
This course contributes to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda: Objective n. 11 - Città e comunità sostenibili
Ricevimento: By appointment, contacting the teacher directly: stefania.degliabbati@unige.it
GIORGIO BONI (President)
STEFANIA DEGLI ABBATI (President)
DARIA OTTONELLI
For students attending the classes in person (at least 12 hours of theoretical classes plus the practical exercise): Oral exam consisting of the discussion of a PowerPoint presentation carried out by the student, related to the practical exercises developed during the module plus questions about the topics discussed.
For students NOT attending the classes in person: Test with open-ended questions dealing with the topics of the whole program discussed during the module.
Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it), the disability liaison for the Engineering study programs.
For students attending the classes in person, the assessment will concern:
For students NOT attending the classes in person, the assessment will concern:
All course information is given in the classroom, through Aulaweb or on Teams.
For further information, the student can contact the teacher by email.