The project
The devastation caused by earthquakes in the Italian territory is unfortunately well known as in Italy the seismic risk is high as it was tragically demonstrated the recent earthquakes in L’Aquila (2009), Emilia (2012) and the latest event that has shattered the town of Amatrice in the Rieti district (2016).
Earthquakes cause human fatalities and significant economic losses. It is estimated that from 1968 (Belice earthquake) to present time, earthquakes have caused in Italy losses for 160 billion Euro (source Italian Department of Civil Protection). During “peace time”, mitigation of seismic risk also involves the dissemination of correct scientific information. It often happens that ordinary people does not understand the origin of some natural phenomena that occur during earthquakes. It happened with the extensive soil liquefaction phenomena caused by the 2012 Emilia earthquake. Other examples include seaquakes and tsunamis. The 1908 Messina earthquake caused 86,000 casualties most of them due to flooding caused by the tsunami that followed the seismic event.
Knowledge of the phenomena induced by earthquakes is an essential prerequisite for a responsible exploitation of the territory and of an understanding of its fragilities. In addition to the collapse of buildings and infrastructure caused by ground shaking, earthquakes can also cause geological and geotechnical destructive phenomena such as seismically-induced landslides, surface fault rupture, soil liquefaction. They also are capable of producing devastating effects on the territory and on the infrastructures.
The communication of Science to the general public is an important tool for the dissemination of knowledge of the physical phenomena associated with earthquakes and in general with natural disasters. In this regard, the academic world and the universities can play a leading role in this activity of popularization of Science by spreading correct, though accessible, scientific information.
The GEO EXPLORER PARK project fits into this framework since it is based on setting up a physical and virtual educational laboratory to reproduce and simulate what really happens on a territory during an earthquake. The realization of the lab will include the construction of a physical model in which will be placed at a small-scale reservoirs, roads, railways, bridges and other infrastructures. The effects of an earthquake will be reproduced through the action of a small shake table. The “quicksand” and soil liquefaction phenomena will be simulated jointly with their effects on the built environment. The set up of the laboratory will be completed by a PC connected to a large monitor in which to show phenomena that are difficult to reproduce with small physical models such as the generation of anomalous waves at the origin of tsunamis.
LINK
Goals
Target 1: 10.000 €
material necessary for the creation of the plastic model, computer to simulate phenomena on the screen
Target 2: 25.000 €
purchase/creation of the seismic vibration table
Video
Media Gallery
Rewards
DONATION 10 EUROS
Gadget (pen or key ring) characterised by the project logo
DONATION 100 EUROS
T-shirt or cap characterised by the project logo
DONATION 2000 EUROS
Pen-drive characterised by the project logo and mention on scientific papers about the project
DONATIONS GREATER THAN 10.000 EUROS
The name of the donator or the logo ( in case of companies/organisations etc..) will be included on the plaque of the plastic model and in the place which will house our laboratory.
Team
Carlo G. Lai
Prof. | FounderCarlo G. Lai
Prof. | Founder
Dr. Carlo G. Lai is a professor in soil mechanics and earthquake geotechnical engineering at the University of Pavia, Italy, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture. He is also the head of the Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Section at EUCENTRE and affiliate faculty at the ROSE School both in Pavia. Dr. Lai earned his MSc in Civil Engineering from Politecnico di Torino in 1988 and an MSc in Civil Engineering, an MSc in Engineering Science and Mechanics and a PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995, 1997, and 1998, respectively. His primary research interests are in modeling the physics of seismic wave propagation in geomaterials, earthquake geotechnical engineering and engineering seismology. He has been coordinator of numerous research projects funded by public and private agencies in Italy and abroad. Currently he is the technical lead of LIQUEFACT, a European research project on the assessment and mitigation of liquefaction potential across Europe. Dr. Lai is author/co-author of over 150 scientific publications including two books. In 2003, he was awarded with the Bishop Research Medal for the best research contribution in Geotechnical Engineering published in 2002 by the British Institution of Civil Engineers.
Backers
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Lo Presti Ing. Diego Carlo Fed Presti Ing. Diego Carlo Fed