CHALLENGES
To connect with the research group best suited to your needs, please contact: comunicazione-eventi-dica@polimi.it
01.
Climate change adaptation
Geological risk assessment in changing scenarios
Geotechnical systems under extreme events
Long-term damage evolution in materials of the historical heritage subjected to aging, aggressive environment and catastrophic events, assessment of structures and infrastructures
Innovative technologies and biotechnologies for climate change mitigation
Coastal and maritime engineering and river interactions
Water scarcity and drought, irrigation systems, and food/water energy nexus
Urban landscape modelling for heatwave impact mitigation
The goal is to identify innovative solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, infrastructure, and society. The main areas of interest include risk assessment for air, soil, water, and the built environment in relation to extreme events and the aging of structures.
02.
Sustainable design of materials, structures and infrastructures
Si promuovono soluzioni sostenibili per materiali, strutture e infrastrutture attraverso valutazioni del ciclo di vita e dell’impatto ambientale, con particolare attenzione alle tecnologie per la prevenzione dell’inquinamento, la mitigazione dei cambiamenti climatici e la transizione energetica, inclusa l’ottimizzazione della progettazione basata su BIM. Le aree principali comprendono materiali a basso impatto di carbonio, progettazione sostenibile di sistemi di trasporto e idraulici e gestione efficace dei rischi. Viene inoltre affrontato il retrofit sostenibile, materiali innovativi a base di cemento e progettazione orientata al ciclo di vita per garantire la resilienza futura.
03.
Safety and resilience of natural and anthropic systems
Scenario analyses and modelling of pollutants fate in natural environment and anthropic systems for a sustainable development
Innovative (bio)technologies based on the principles of circularity, one-health and zero-discharge
Living labs for soil and water quality assessment and restoration
Groundwater pollution risk: from characterization to remediation
Seismic vulnerability analysis, diagnostic and conservation of masonry structures and architectural heritage
Multi Criteria Assessment of risk mitigation solutions
GIS & EO based natural hazard mapping
Landslide hazard and hydrogeological susceptibility assessment - Multi-risk assessment of built environment
Territorial impact of river sediment transport and morphologic variations
Life-cycle assessment, maintenance, and rehabilitation of bridges and structures
Sustainable Hydraulic structures and infrastructures and their residual risk behavior
Assessment, prevention, and mitigation of natural and anthropic risks to civil and industrial structures and infrastructures
Life-cycle reliability, risk, robustness, and resilience of bridges and infrastructure networks under multiple hazards
Assessment and Sustainable Retrofitting of Built Heritage
The theme focuses on understanding, monitoring, and enhancing the resilience of natural ecosystems and civil infrastructure under increasing environmental pressures. It integrates advanced monitoring technologies, modeling, and risk assessment to address environmental quality and structural reliability throughout their entire life cycle. The main areas include sustainable retrofit, multi-hazard resilience, and holistic strategies aimed at improving safety and durability through innovative approaches to prevention, monitoring, and mitigation.
04.
Energy transition
Energy management in hydraulic processes
Hydropower potential under changing climate
Assessment of on-shore and off-shore structures and infrastructures for renewable energy production
Waste streams management and treatment to produce innovative energy carriers
Innovative solutions for hydrogen and carbon storage to support the energy transition
Low enthalpy geothermal systems
Sviluppo di sistemi energetici sostenibili e rinnovabili attraverso tecnologie innovative e biotecnologie, in linea con i principi di circolarità e di azzeramento delle emissioni.
Il lavoro comprende l’esplorazione di diverse fonti rinnovabili, dal geotermico e idroelettrico al solare ed eolico, fino al recupero energetico dai rifiuti, includendo inoltre soluzioni emergenti come il power-to-gas biologico e le pavimentazioni elettrificate, con lo stoccaggio dell’idrogeno quale elemento chiave della transizione energetica. L’approccio integra la prevenzione dell’inquinamento e lo sviluppo di infrastrutture resilienti on-shore e off-shore, con l’obiettivo di promuovere un futuro energetico pulito nel rispetto dell’ambiente.
05.
Sustainable resource management
Water scarcity and drought, irrigation systems, and food-water energy nexus
Decision support tools for implementation of circularity
Characterization and re-use of quarries and mines
Reuse of industrial waste for building materials and soil stabilization
Modeling, predicting, and managing fate and transport of emerging contaminants in soils and aquifers
Integrating recycled/reclaimed materials in road and airport pavements
Groundwater resource management
Innovative (bio)technologies for sustainable resource management
The focus is on optimizing the use and conservation of natural resources, integrating environmental impact, risk, and life cycle assessments within a circular economy framework.
The scope includes high-resolution monitoring of soil and water, sustainable water resource management within the food–water–energy nexus, and circular material strategies such as additive manufacturing, waste reuse, and resource recovery. The main areas include the rehabilitation of degraded sites and the development of biotechnologies for climate change mitigation, ensuring long-term environmental and industrial sustainability.
06.
Technological innovation
Physics-based modeling techniques for accurate digital representations of structural systems
Design of innovative computational tools for development of physics-based seismic damage scenarios
Technological solutions for monitoring of hydraulic structures (levees, bridges, dams)
From the proof of concept through lab scale to full scale of remediation technologies
R2V (Road to Vehicle) communication for safety purposes
5G, LEO and GNSS integration for precise positioning
Quantum gravimetry
Geospatial Foundation Models
Technological solutions for water networks design, and monitoring
Bond, composite structures and fastening technology for new constructions and retrofitting
Structural and technological applications of glass
Design of innovative materials for structures and infrastructures
Guidelines for best practices in flood risk assessment and bridge vulnerability
Design of innovative sensors for diagnostic and health monitoring in structural and geotechnical engineering
The approach promotes cutting-edge solutions by integrating environmental technologies, innovations in structural engineering, and next-generation Earth observation systems.
Biotechnologies for pollution prevention, quantum gravimetry, geospatial models, smart materials, advanced construction and retrofit methods, and new sensors for structural and hydraulic monitoring are developed. This fosters sustainable and resilient infrastructure by combining traditional engineering with emerging digital capabilities.
METHODS & TOOLS
To connect with the research group best suited to your needs, please contact: comunicazione-eventi-dica@polimi.it
01.
Survey and monitoring
Inversion techniques and machine learning tools
Performance indicators monitoring of water distribution systems
Digital Twin technologies for the efficiency and optimization of hydraulic processes in civil, industrial and agricultural fields
Use of satellites, UAVs, etc for ice cover assessment, and dynamics
Weather survey and forecasting, with models, and radar/satellite data
Groundwater quali-quantitave monitoring
Real time flood forecasting
Satellite optical imagery analysis and SAR
New road and airport monitoring systems and standards
Laboratory and on-site investigations, non-destructive tests for cultural heritage
Seismic methods for near-surface investigations and georadar/geo-electrical monitoring
Performance indicators monitoring water distribution systems
Integration of advanced tools for environmental monitoring, structural surveying, and the sustainable management of water and soil, leveraging interdepartmental laboratories.
Geospatial techniques, life cycle and risk assessments, and non-destructive testing are combined to monitor air, soil, water, buildings, and infrastructure. The system supports risk forecasting, infrastructure resilience, and the protection of cultural heritage, enabling accurate analyses and sustainable management solutions.
02.
Life Cycle Assessment
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) supports sustainable decision-making by evaluating and minimizing environmental impacts across infrastructures, integrating BIM to improve efficiency and analytical accuracy. It is applied to structural systems, transport infrastructures, and the maintenance and rehabilitation of bridges, buildings, and heritage structures. LCA also guides the development of pollution-prevention and treatment technologies aligned with circular economy and zero-discharge principles, enabling more sustainable resource and infrastructure management.
03.
Experimental methods
Compound specific isotope analysis and investigations
Hydrological processes, water resources monitoring and management
Water scarcity and drought, irrigation systems, and food-water energy nexus
Statistical methods for crustal and structures deformation analysis
Laboratory and on-site investigations, non-destructive tests for existing structures and cultural heritage
Experimental testing and validation of innovative material models
Inverse analysis, identification and experimental characterization of the material
Experimental testing and model validation of structural components and systems under extreme loading conditions
Experimental testing of bond, composite structures and fastenings
Advanced experimental methods for the characterization of critical fluid-dynamic phenomena (cavitation, noise, erosion)
Reactive processes in porous media: microfluidics and nano-scale assessment of self-organization of mineral–fluid interfaces
Design of equipment and experimental multiphysics testing protocols for porous materials under cyclic loads, including climate impact
Physical modelling of geotechnical systems at reduced (1g) and prototype scales (foundations, dykes, embankments, slopes)
Image-based fluid dynamics measurements
Large laboratory scale water distribution network for research and technology transfer
Field tests for GW management
Additive manufacturing technologies and experimental assessments of cementitious materials
Experimental approaches address challenges related to the environment, structures, and resource management through interdepartmental laboratories. They support the development of technologies for pollution prevention, innovative materials, large-scale structural testing, and the sustainable management of hydraulic and water infrastructures. Techniques include seismic monitoring, ground-penetrating radar, and geoelectrical surveys, as well as non-destructive testing for the protection of cultural heritage.
04.
Computational methods and modelling
Hydrological processes, water resources monitoring and management
High-performance computing in EO and geodesy
Computational models and methods
Numerical modelling of river morphologic processes
Numerical modelling of slope dynamic and sediment transport
Numerical simulations of the (hydro)-mechanical behaviour of innovative structural
Flood damage modelling
Mechanics of masonry structures
Performance-based models for road and airport pavements
Optimal lightweight design of structures and components for traditional and additive manufacturing
Advanced fluid-dynamic modeling for critical industrial applications
Numerical modelling of groundwater flow, contaminants and heat transfer
Monitoring and modelling of structures and infrastructures
Sviluppo di sistemi energetici sostenibili e rinnovabili attraverso tecnologie innovative e biotecnologie, in linea con i principi di circolarità e di azzeramento delle emissioni.
Il lavoro comprende l’impiego di diverse fonti rinnovabili, dal geotermico e idroelettrico al solare ed eolico, fino al recupero energetico dai rifiuti, integrando inoltre soluzioni emergenti come il power-to-gas biologico e le pavimentazioni elettrificate. Lo stoccaggio dell’idrogeno rappresenta un elemento chiave della transizione energetica. L’approccio integra la prevenzione dell’inquinamento e lo sviluppo di infrastrutture resilienti on-shore e off-shore, con l’obiettivo di promuovere un futuro energetico pulito nel rispetto dell’ambiente.
05.
Artificial Intelligence
Geospatial AI
AI for geological risk mapping
Artificial Intelligence methods in structural and geotechnical engineering
Artificial intelligence (AI) tackles environmental, geological, and structural challenges through analysis of big datasets, process optimization, and decision support. Machine learning enhances satellite imagery interpretation, geospatial analysis, risk mapping, and structural mechanics solutions. AI also supports hydrological hazard assessment, water resource management, and climate adaptation, promoting sustainable solutions across sectors.