INSYSM · Intelligent Systems for Structures Strengthening and Monitoring

According to recent analyses, more than 29% of European citizens are concentrated in 500 largest cities of the continent. Most of these cities are now subjected, or will be in the near future, to significant modification of their urban texture, brought about by the exploitation of new areas and by redevelopment of old industrial sites or the construction of big and pervasive infrastructure. Urban areas modernization and natural calamities (floods, earthquakes, etc) bring the change of the work conditions of urban infrastructure – in many cases historical buildings. The consequence of this change is the necessity of strengthening. It was observed, that traditional methods for strengthening of buildings subjected to complex load layout are not always acting in most effective way, opposite, sometimes they caused hazardous situations. That was one of the main reasons why scientists and industry started to seek more flexible and problem oriented solutions. New strengthening systems came from other branches of industry - FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer), SRP (Steel RP) and TMR (Textile Reinforced Masonry) based on high performance fibers. Additionally, experience in other areas of industry (e.g. textiles, clothing etc.) indicates that some of strengthening fibers may also be monitoring sensors. INSYSM project creates innovative strengthening and sensing technologies based on the textile industry experiences. Strengthening equipped with monitoring system enables very powerful advantages. During all of the work phases collected measurements can picture performance of a whole structure, which can be used for continuous observation of the building and shall allow to master the strengthening solutions due to building real life work, also during accidental situations like floods, earthquakes etc.