Curriculum
POSITIONS
• From 1983 to 1991 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS & STRENGTH OF MATERIALS
Department of Constructions – Piazza Brunelleschi 6 – 50121 Firenze
University of Florence
• From 1991 to 1993 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS & STRENGTH OF MATERIALS
Department of Constructions – Piazza Brunelleschi 6 – 50121 Firenze
University of Florence
• From 1994 to 2001 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS & STRENGTH OF MATERIALS
Department of Architecture – Via Quartieri 8 – 44100 Ferrara
University of Ferrara
• From 2001 to 2012 FULL PROFESSOR OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS & STRENGTH OF MATERIALS
Department of Architecture – Via Quartieri 8 – 44100 Ferrara
University of Ferrara
• From 2003 to 2005 HEAD OF DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
University of Ferrara
• From 2003 to 2005 DIRECTOR OF D.I.A.P.Re. M. *
CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED AUTOMATIC PROCEDURES FOR RESTORATION OF MONUMENTS
University of Ferrara.
• From 2003 to 2013 DEPUTY RECTOR
of the University of Ferrara for the Real Estate of the University
• Since 2012 FULL PROFESSOR OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS & STRENGTH OF MATERIALS
Department of Engineering – Via Saragat 1 – 44100 Ferrara
University of Ferrara
EDUCATION & TRAINING
• 1976 Degree in Architecture
University of Florence
• From 1980 to 1983 RESEARCH FELLOW
Department of Constructions
University of Florence
Research on no-tension materials supported by University funds
• From 1/09/1982 to 15/09/1982 Intensive Course on Boundary Element Techniques
CISM – International Centre of Mechanical Sciences
Udine
• From 1984 to 1986 RESEARCH FELLOW
Computational Mechanics Institute – Wessex Institute
Ashurst Lodge, Southampton, UK
With CNR and CNR-NATO grants
Research on Boundary Element Techniques applied to masonry structures
• From 1/05/1989 to 30/05/1989 Intensive Course on Convex and Non Convex Mechanics
Centre of International Studies “Ettore Majorana” – Erice – Italy
• From 1/06/1991 to 30/06/1991 Intensive Course on Optimization Techniques and Concurrent Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering – Iowa City – Iowa - US
TEACHING EXPERIENCE ABROAD
• From 2001 to 2003 VISITING PROFESSOR
PUCPR - Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Paranà” – Brazil
Within the Joint Degree and post-Degree Program UNIFE – PUCPR for Architects
• From 2001 to 2003 VISITING PROFESSOR
TUD – Technische Universitaet Dresden – Germany
Within ERASMUS – SOCRATES Programs on “A European Culture of the Architectural Heritage: Theoretical and Technical Problems in Restoration
• May 2005 VISITING PROFESSOR
Shenzhen University – China
As Invited Lecturer on Numerical Techniques for Structural Analysis
• September 2008 VISITING PROFESSOR
Birzeit and Al Quds Universities – Palestine
As invited Lecturer on Structural Consolidation Techniques
• From 2009 to 2010 VISITING PROFESSOR
RIWAQ Center for Preservation of Historical Heritage – Ramallah, Palestine
As Invited Lecturer on Structural Consolidation Techniques
• September 2009 VISITING PROFESSOR
Welfare Association – Jerusalem, Palestine
As Invited Lecturer on Structural Consolidation Techniques
SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL ADVICE
• From 1998 to 2008 STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Responsible for the structural restoration & consolidation of Palazzo Tassoni (XV cent. cent.) in Ferrara, the new seat of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Ferrara
• From 2007 to 2008 UNESCO STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
in the programme “Action plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem” under contract n. 4500034180 - 2006.
Institutions involved: World Heritage Centre, University of Rome (Italy), University of Ferrara (Italy), Raymond Lamaire International Centre for Conservation (Belgium), Ecole d’Avignon (France), Development Innovations Group (USA)
• From 2010 to 2012 GENERAL COORDINATOR
of the project for the restoration of the roof of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem – Fund Administrator: CFR Ferrara
• Since 2013 SUPERVISOR
of the interventions of restoration on the timber roof of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem – Fund Administrator: CFR Ferrara
MEMBERSHIPS
AIMETA - Italian Association of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
GLIS – Italian Association of Seismic Engineering
EDITOR
2ND Int. Conference on CONTACT MECHANICS Proceedings
University of Ferrara – 1995
Co-Editor with M.H. Aliabadi
THE MATHEMATICS IN ARCHITECTURE Proceedings
University of Ferrara –1998
Co-Editor with O. Arena
XVI AIMETA Proceedings
National Congress of the Italian Association of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
University of Ferrara –2003
22nd Int. Symp. on AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS IN CONSTRUCTION Proceedings
University of Ferrara - 2005
Co-Editor with F. Malaguti
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE, Special Issue vol.13, 2012, The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem: an interdisciplinary approach to a knowledge-based restoration
Guest Editor
BOOK on “The Restoration of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem”, CRC Press & Taylor an Francis - 2020
MEMBER OF SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEES
STREMAH – Conferences on Structural Repair and Maintenance of Architectural Heritage
2ND Int. Conf. on CONTACT MECHANICS – University of Ferrara - 1995
THE MATHEMATICS IN ARCHITECTURE - Conference - University of Ferrara - 1998
REFEREE
• Journal of Multi-body Dynamics (Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part K)
• Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science (Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part C)
• The Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design
• Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS
• 2001-2004 International SOCRATES –ERASMUS Workshops:
A European Culture of the Architectural Heritage: Theoretical and Technical Problems in Restoration
financed by the European Community
Responsible of the Project
European Partners: Technical University of Dresden (Germany), Catholic University of Leuven, University of Ferrara.
• 2006-2007 Improve multiple risk evaluation and structural safety in the historical part of Valparaiso – Chile (IMPRESS)
International coordinator: ENEA - Italy
Responsible of the Research Unit of Ferrara University
Supported by: Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Partners: Italian Institute for New
Technologies, Energies and Environment (ENEA), Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria (UTFSM), Universidad de Chile (UC), Servicio Hidrografico y Oceanografico de la Armada de Chile (SHOA), Abdus Salam InternaTional Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), University of Padua (UNIPD).
• 2010-2012 Studies and assessment for the restoration of the roof of the Nativity in Bethlehem
Supported by the Palestinian National Authority
General Coordinator and Responsible of the Project
CONFERENCE ORGANISATION
1st Int. Conf. STREMAH – Structural Repair and Maintenance of Architectural Heritage
In cooperation with Wessex Institute of Technology – Southampton, UK
Firenze – Italy – 1989
2ND Int. Conf. on CONTACT MECHANICS
In cooperation with Wessex Institute of Technology – Southampton, UK
University of Ferrara – 1995
Co-Editor of the Conference Proceedings
THE MATHEMATICS IN ARCHITECTURE
University of Ferrara – May 1998
Co-Editor of the Conference Proceedings
XVI AIMETA – National Congress of the Italian Association of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
University of Ferrara – September 2003
Editor of the Conference Proceedings
22nd Int. Symp. on AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS IN CONSTRUCTION
University of Ferrara - 2005
Co-Editor of the Conference Proceedings
RESEARCH AREAS
1. COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS & NUMERICAL MODELLING
BEM and FEM Methods :
- Static analysis of no-tension materials and masonry structures
- Numerical procedures
- Spline based approach to transform domain integrals into boundary integrals
- Vibration analysis
- Unilateral contact problems with and without friction
- Unilateral contact problems with adhesion
- Sensitivity analysis
- Inverse problems in Elasticity
- Damage Mechanics
- Inverse problems in damage Mechanics
- Numerical modelling of masonry structures
- Numerical modelling of reinforced wooden beams
2. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS FOR HERITAGE PRESERVATION
2.a Historical wooden structures:
- Medieval Wooden Crucifix in the Church of S. Felice , Florence
- Laminated wooden arch in the Church of San Firenze, Florence
- Composite wooden beams in Ferrara’s Renaissance
- The roof of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
- The wooden architraves of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
2.b Historical masonry structures:
- “Palazzo Vecchio”, Florence
- Abbey of Pomposa, Pomposa (FE)
- “Casa Romei”, Ferrara
- Renata di Francia Palace, Ferrara
- Gulinelli Palace, Ferrara
- Marchesale Castle, Italy
- Masonry towers in the coastal PO valley
- The masonry structures of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
3. INTEGRATED LASER SCANNER SURVEY & VISUALISATION TECHNIQUES AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
-“San Salvatore al Monte”, Florence
- Abbey of Pomposa, Pomposa (FE)
- Case studies of rock & soil instability
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS
His most relevant publications concern:
1. COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS & NUMERICAL MODELLING with the Boundary Element Method (B.E.M.) : static analysis of masonry structures, unilateral contact problems with and without friction, fracture analysis, transformation of domain integrals into boundary integrals, free vibration analysis of membranes, sensitivity analysis, inverse and identification problems, arc-length procedures in physically non-linear problems, nonlocal approach in continuum damage mechanics, boundary integral approaches in nonlinear wave propagation, fast multipole boundary element approaches to some problems of Mechanics
2. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS FOR HERITAGE PRESERVATION:
- historical wooden structures: a medieval wooden crucifix in Florence, a Laminated Wood Arch in the Church of S. Firenze in Florence, wooden composite beams in the Renaissance of Ferrara, the timber roof of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
- historical masonry structures: Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, the Church of San Salvatore al Monte in Florence, the Abbey of Pomposa, historical masonry buildings in Ferrara, ancient masonry towers in the Coastal Po Valley, the Action Plan of Jerusalem, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
3. INTEGRATED SURVEY & VISUALISATION TECHNIQUES AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS: 3-D Visualisation Techniques as Auxiliary Tools in the Structural Analysis, 3D Laser Scanner models as virtual database for integrated analyses
