Innovative multi-functional retrofitting systems for heritage structures

Structural retrofitting plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage. However, traditional repair systems often exhibit inadequate long-term performance, thus necessitating continuous and costly monitoring to guarantee structural safety. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the AESTHESIS project aims to leverage advanced retrofitting systems comprising textiles embedded in inorganic matrices, transforming them into multi-functional systems that can “feel” and repair the damage without human intervention. The project will unlock the full potential of self-sensing and self-healing materials, tailoring them to meet the specific performance criteria of heritage structures. The goal is to develop a “smart,” innovative, all-in-one retrofitting solution for the durable and sustainable retrofitting of our heritage structures. 

Objectives

65% of the built cultural heritage is structurally deficient due to ageing, lack of maintenance and exposure to natural and man-made hazards. This figure is expected to increase given the effects of climate change. Structural retrofitting is vital for the preservation of our cultural heritage and the safeguarding of its social and economic value.

Traditional repair systems have shown inadequate long-term performance, with 20% of the repairs failing only after 5 years, thus requiring ever-increasing rehabilitation and maintenance costs. This calls for more durable retrofitting solutions capable to guarantee structural performance and provide actionable information on their damage state before safety is jeopardised.

AESTHESIS will leverage state-of-the-art retrofitting systems for heritage structures using textiles embedded in inorganic matrices and transform them, for the first time, into smart systems that can “feel” the damage and repair themselves. Both textiles and matrices will be engineered through the inclusion of sustainable electrically conductive materials and industrial by-products to achieve desired electro-mechanical properties and stimulate inherent autogenous healing mechanisms. AESTHESIS will unlock the full potential of self-sensing and self-healing materials and develop an innovative all-in-one retrofitting solution with tailored functionalities to meet the specific performance criteria of heritage structures, thus enabling a paradigm shift from corrective to pro-active retrofitting.

The work will be underpinned by a systematic, multi-scale, multi-physics approach, and culminate in the field demonstration of the proposed technology. AESTHESIS’s breakthrough will reinforce the European identity by providing safer and resilient heritage structures and will increase Europe’s competitiveness in the retrofitting sector by providing fundamental know-how on the design of multi-functional systems and practical design tools to promote their faster uptake. 

Host Supervisor & Institution: 

Prof. Liberato Ferrara, Politecnico di Milano

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