The ENDURE project has achieved a significant milestone with the successful execution of the subassembly tests. These experiments aimed to assess the performance of a reinforced concrete building part, a substructure, including its columns, beams, and slab, and subjected to controlled collapse conditions.
Following the test, extensive material tests have been carried out, on steel bars and concrete specimens. These evaluations have provided crucial data on the mechanical properties of the materials, ensuring the reliability of the experiment and the subsequent computational models.
The subassembly tests were conducted using three hydraulic jacks to simulate the load conditions of the subassemblies during collapse scenarios. Over 110 sensors and multiple cameras were deployed in each test to capture detailed structural responses throughout the process. The tests were a complete success, confirming the effectiveness of the experimental setup and providing valuable insights into collapse mechanisms.
Following this achievement, the research team is now preparing new series of tests scheduled for 2025. These upcoming experiments will further explore structural resilience strategies to mitigate collapse propagation in reinforced concrete and steel buildings.
The ENDURE project is funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 1101000396).
