H-PLANET – Anti-overturning reinforcement intervention for the gymnasium in Gualdo Cattaneo

The gymnasium of the San Terenziano School Complex, located in the municipality of Gualdo Cattaneo in the province of Perugia, is an integral part of a larger complex consisting of several structurally connected buildings. It is a single-story structure with a pitched roof and includes all the facilities such as changing rooms. The load-bearing structure of the building consists of main frames made of reinforced concrete beams and columns, connected transversely by secondary beams and horizontal elements for the roof made of lightweight concrete.

ISSUES AND DAMAGE

Following the seismic events of 2016 and January 2017, it was determined that certain reinforcement interventions were necessary for the school complex’s structure. Specifically, for the gymnasium, the safety of the upper infill walls needed to be ensured. Non-structural elements such as infill walls can experience out-of-plane bending and, consequently, overturning. In this particular case, a reinforcement intervention was designed for the upper infill walls using the “thin reinforced render” technique, also known as the Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) system. The area requiring reinforcement consisted of two triangular portions of the walls, totaling approximately 150 square meters.

INTERVENTION

The anti-overturning intervention was carried out using the H-PANET system, reinforcing the walls on both the interior and exterior faces of the infill walls. The system involved the installation of preformed low-thickness composite fiber-reinforced CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) grids, with improved adhesion. These grids were made of carbon fiber and a thermosetting resin, with a monolithic square mesh. The connection between the grid and the infill walls was achieved using stainless steel bars and carbon fiber anchors, installed prior to the application of the finishing layer with a high-strength cement-based mortar.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS PROJECT OBJECTIVE:Safety and anti-overturning reinforcement of the gymnasium’s infill walls at the San Terenziano School Complex

LOCATION: Gualdo Cattaneo, Perugia, Italy

MAIN CONTRACTOR: RESTAURA Srl, Castiglione del Lago (PG), Italy

COMPLETION: 2017