We recently received a positive result for the Enhance funding proposal, entitled “Hanging floors from the roof: Retrofitting existing buildings for improved robustness”. The project aims to develop a novel approach for retrofitting existing buildings to improve their structural robustness by hanging floors from the roof. Unlike traditional methods, where the retrofitting procedures must be done locally at every component or joint location, the proposed method will explore a new way to improve robustness at a systemic (global) level. The project is funded by the Generalitat Valenciana through PROMETEO 2023 program with a total budget of approximately €600,000 with a duration of 4 years.
The success of Enhance project will positively impact all three pillars of sustainability. Socially, the project will lead to safer buildings and the saving of lives, especially in the case of extreme events with severe consequences for structural integrity. From the environmental perspective, avoiding building collapses will directly affect CO2 ¬emissions since the emissions due to demolition and subsequent reconstruction will not be necessary. Ultimately, the project will impact the economic aspect in two forms: 1) by preventing disasters with grave economic consequences in the first place; 2) it is expected that the proposed method would lead to a more efficient retrofitting strategy compared to traditional methods, as the former takes advantage of the systemic approach.
