APC PARTNERS
APC SUMMARY
The Valle d'Aosta region, on the basis of its zoning of the areas where a high risk of avalanches occurs, considers a priority to establish a mechanism for assessing the safety of existing buildings and infrastructures and to provide guidelines ("Recommendations") for the design of new buildings located in areas belonging to the so-called "yellow zone" and "green zone" according to the LR No 11, 1998, namely the areas where impact pressures due to snow avalanches between 0 and 3.0 t/m2 are expected.
Uninettuno and Politecnico of Torino, through the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, offer their cooperation for research and advice on this issue. One point separated but still closely tied to structural recommendations is the need by the VdA Region, to establish a protocol for the establishment of the so-called list of "Experts of avalanche effects", made of qualified professionals.
APC DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The project is divided into five phases:
Form 1:
1a) Analysis of existing rules.
1b) Analysis of stresses in the structures.
1c) design requirements for buildings with reinforced concrete structure.
1d) design requirements for buildings with steel structure.
1e) design requirements for buildings with masonry load-bearing structure.
1f) design requirements for buildings with wooden structure.
Form 2:
2a) Definition of housing types in the region.
2b) Evaluation of the safety of existing structures.
2c) Information and indications for the consolidation of existing structures.
Form 3:
3a) Global architectural aspects.
3b) Safety of secondary elements.
Form 4:
4a) Indications for new infrastructures.
4b) Directions for the consolidation and reinforcement of existing infrastructures.
Form 5:
5a) Definition of the procedure.
5b) Definition of priority scales for the built environment.
APC OBJECTIVES
The task should lead to the issue of a Report containing the recommendations and the technical guidance regarding both the design criteria and the types of structural and constructive measures, to be followed for testing and consolidation of existing buildings and infrastructures, and for the design and implementation of new structures in "yellow zone" and "green zone" too. This report can become a tool of the current operating activities in the Valle d'Aosta Region, to be taken into account in urban and constructive activity, in the medium and low risk areas.
APC RESULTS
From the 3 main fields of activities under this application we expect the following outcomes and products.
(A)Scholarship
A scholarship (or research grant) will be reserved for students of Valle d'Aosta, considering, among the requie skills, also the knowledge of mountain sites, the problem of snow avalanches and buildings found in the Valley.
(B)Research, investigations, reliefs
The rules and/or Practical Information on building construction techniques in avalanche zones, in other Italian, European and foreign regions too, will be analyzed.
Participation to conferences, even abroad, expressely devoted to the subject is planned. In order to better assess the different possible scenarios, a campaign of investigations, on selected areas falling in the green and yellow zone, evidencing the types of constructions and infrastructures, as well the population density, will be made.
APC ROLE OF UNINETTUNO
The UTIU provides the coordination of research, and provides the informatic equipments for development of the project.
APC WORK PROGRAM
Work-package 1 (WP1
State of the art of the problem, calculus of the stress on the structures arising from the impacts of snow avalanches. Recommendations for the design and construction of new structures in buildings made of reinforced concrete, steel or masonry.
Work-package 2 (WP2)
Indications for testing and consolidation of existing buildings, with respect to the more common typologies of housing in VdA.
Work-package 3 (WP3)
Guidelines for the implementation, testing and adaptation of architectural non-structural components present in buildings under snow avalanche risk.
Work-package 4 (WP4)
Guidelines for the design, construction and reinforcement of infrastructures under snow avalanche risk.
Work-package 5 (WP5)
Definition, in direct cooperation with the Regional Offices responsible, of a "general protocol" for carrying out the analysis of snow avalanche intereference by qualified professionals.