Giovedì 23 Gennaio si terrà un seminario presso l’aula Grandori (Edificio 4) dalle ore 11:30 dal titolo “The Impact of Extreme Floods on Infrastucture: Is it just water?“.

Il seminario sarà tenuto dal Dr. Davide Wüthrich, Assistant Professor, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands.

Inoltre il seminario potrà essere seguito tramite Webex al seguente link.

Abstract:

All recent studies consistently predict a future characterised by more frequent and extreme natural hazards. The catastrophic floods of summer 2021 in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands clearly demonstrated the devastating consequences of such events, underscoring the urgent need for effective measures to ensure safety, mitigate damage and reduce reconstruction costs. This seminar begins with first-hand observations collected during field surveys of recent extreme events, emphasizing their complex multiphase nature, including large volumes of floating debris. Recognizing that these phenomena remain poorly understood, the seminar will then explore ongoing research on the accumulation of large floating debris at bridges and other critical water conveyance structures. This shows the need to combine innovative research, high-quality education and interdisciplinary collaboration to meet the challenges that current and future infrastructure are facing.

Speaker’s bio:

Davide Wüthrich is a civil engineer specialized in hydraulic structures, currently Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, and Honorary Lecturer at the University of Queensland, Australia. He earned his Bachelor degree at Politecnico di Torino (Italy) followed by a Master and PhD at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland), focusing on the impact of extreme events on structures. Building upon previous experience as Post-Doc in Japan and Australia, his current research at TU Delft focuses on the impact of extreme events on infrastructure, including post-flood forensic surveys, laboratory experiments, and prototype measurements.