RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The heart and head of ISAAC
The development of new technologies is the basis of our products, as demonstrated by the patents and scientific publications of our engineers and collaborators.
We aim to improve our technologies, and create new ones, so that ours products are easily applicable in all contexts by our customers.
Facilitate the work of the technicians who use ISAAC products are the basis of the Research and Development of our technologies.
Making more and more effective e secure our products, as well as the high guarantee quality standards, represent the constant commitment to end users.
Making seismic protection an accessible and simple solution, is the challenge we win every day thanks to our team.
Real-scale prototype creation and HIL (Hardware In the Loop) test
At the end of 2020, ISAAC completed the design and construction of the first full-scale prototype of the I-Pro 1 system, and carried out the first tests of the product at the Mechanics Department of the Politecnico di Milano (DMEC). These tests, defined as “Hardware In The Loop”, represent real quality controls that allow you to effectively and efficiently verify the operation (software and hardware) of the technology in a virtual environment. During these tests, the I-Pro 1 was mounted on a vibrating table (made specifically for these tests) that simulates the movement of a building's roof when subjected to an earthquake. A hydraulic actuator that transmits the force to the vibrating table moves it exactly as the forces of the earthquake would move the top floor of the building. At the same time, the control algorithms of I Pro 1 come into operation, so that they can be verified. It was therefore possible to demonstrate the actual increase in performance obtainable thanks to the adoption of the system, achieving reductions in the effects of the earthquake on the structure equal to 75%.
Test at EUCENTRE of the full-scale prototype
In March 2020, tests of the full-scale prototype were carried out at the EUCENTRE laboratories. The tests in EUCENTRE (internationally renowned research center in seismic engineering) served to demonstrate in real conditions the seismic improvement carried out on the structure thanks to the use of I-Pro 1 by simulating a real seismic event. For this reason, two identical reinforced concrete framed and buffered brick structures were designed and built, bound to the same base and positioned on the largest vibrating table in Europe (to simulate earthquakes of increasing intensity). By adopting a comparative approach between the building equipped with I-Pro 1 and the one without the system, it was possible to analyze the progressive damage of the two structures. The experimental campaign lasted 3 days, for a total of 18 earthquakes, of increasing intensity compared to the base earthquake (base earthquake corresponding to the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, magnitude 6.9 on the Richter scale). On 10 March at 16:54:37 the maximum seismic intensity of the experimental campaign was tested, which led to an acceleration of the table and the basement of the structures of 0,44 g (equal to 137% of the base earthquake). The earthquake of maximum intensity caused serious damage to the structure not equipped with the I-Pro 1 system. The non-structural elements were widely damaged, leading to the collapse of portions of the infill panels; the structural elements also suffered serious damage, with consequent failure of the beam-pillar joints on the first floor, compromising the usability of the structure, any post-earthquake restoration and minimizing its resistance to horizontal loads. As regards the structure equipped with the control system, only slight cracks were found on the non-structural elements (plaster and smoothing). These results, which demonstrated the full-scale operation of the technology, were essential to show the possibilities for improving the machine in view of the industrialization and commercialization of the I-Pro 1 System.
Publications
Development of a diagnostic technique for civil structures based on the model update of dynamic parameters
2020 - Smart Structure NDE LIGHTS
Active Self-tuned Mass Damper for Vibration Control and Continuous Monitoring of Civil Structures
2019 - Smart Structure NDE LIGHTS
Completely automated modal analysis procedure based on the combination of different Operational Modal Analysis methods
2018 - Smart Structure NDE LIGHTS
Adaptive active vibration control to improve the fatigue life of a carbon-epoxy smart structure
2017 - Smart Structure NDE LIGHTS