DICEA

The Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental  Engineering (DICEA) of the University of Napoli Federico II has been established in 2013.
Since its foundation the different disciplines characterizing the department are conventionally grouped together in the following main subject areas: Water engineering, water systems and environmental engineering; Engineering of Transportation Systems and Infrastructures; Geotechnical engineering and engineering geology; Building, urban, landscape and architectural engineering. 

The main objective of research and educational activities at DICEA is to develop appropriate tools and train new generations of highly skilled engineers, technicians and researchers, and to promote technological innovation and processes in the fields of civil engineering: civil works, networks and systems; the government and management of landscape transformations; the rational and sustainable construction of artifacts and civil services; the protection and enhancement of the environment; the analysis and evaluation of the impacts of transformation. Website: http://www.dicea.unina.it   

DICEA also promotes a PhD programme in Civil Systems Engineering, that comprises all four thematic areas. The local systems, with the associated infrastructures, services, companies, and economic settlements, create new instances and are subjected to the pressing needs of transformation and adaptation. Civil Systems Engineering task is to respond to these challenges, that are a combined effect of anthropogenic, economic and environmental pressures. Some current contexts, often resulting from short-sighted and poorly planned past conducts, undertake to seek new forms of control and governance of urban systems and, at various scales, of design and management of their physical and functional components.
Promoting integration of knowledge aims to train new generations of specialists in research and implementation of policies and sustainable actions aimed at halting the continuing erosion of environmental resources and the impoverishment of populations and territories.

Research output (2011-2013)

Data on the research output of the Department are extracted from the 2011-2013 Research activities Review (SUA-RD)

Staff

Data on the Department Staff is taken from the institutional website of the Italian Ministry of University and Research

Research projects

EUROPEAN PROJECTS

  • 2009, COST MULTITUDE, Unione Europea, Vincenzo Punzo
  • 2010, SITRAM Unione Europea, Bruna Festa
  • 2011, Service Assessment and Failure of Earth Structures, Unione europea, Claudio Mancuso
  • 2011, Ground water monitoring and hydro geological characterization of the experimental sites, Unione europea, Alfonso Corniello
  • 2011, Environmental characterization of the area of litorale domizio-agro aversano, Unione europea, Daniela Ducci
  • 2011, Enhancing resilience of communities and territories facing natural and na-tech hazards, Unione Europea, Adriana Galderisi
  • 2011, Joint Brazilian-European research facility for climate and geodynamic research on the Amazon River basin sediments, Unione Europea, Carlo Gualtieri
  • 2011, 516888-TEMPUS-1-2011-1-IT-TEMPUS-JPCR, Unione Europea, Alfonso Montella
  • 2013-2015, MED-PCS, Promotion of Port Community System in Mediterranean traffic, http://www.med-pcs.eu/, Unione Europea, Vittorio Marzano
  • 2013-16, 544460/2013-4542 TEMPUS "Hit4Med – Highway and Traffic Engineering: Curricular Reform for Mediterranean Area", Unione Europea, Alfonso Montella
  • 2013, Cooperative programme "Comparison among methods for assessing natural background levels in groundwater" with the CNR-IRSA and FCT (Portugal). Daniela Ducci
  • 2014, GREAT - Exchanging Approaches and Technologies on a world-wide scale, Unione Europea IRSES, Gianfranco Urciuoli
  • 2015, TERRE - Training Engineers and Researchers to Rethink geotechnical Engineering for a low carbon future, Unione Europea MSCA _ITN, Gianfranco Urciuoli
  • 2016, LIQUEFACT, Unione Europea H2020, Alessandro Flora
  • 2016-21 Project 111 for Transportation Safety, Establishment of the Joint International Research Laboratory for Transportation Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Alfonso Montella
  • 2016, REDAWN (EAPA_198/2016) Reducing Energy Dependency in Atlantic area Water Networks. Europena Union, Armando Carravetta

NATIONAL PROJECTS

  • 2010, RELUIS - Definition of geological models and site amplification for impulsive earthquakes near-source,  Dipartimento di Protezione Civile, Antonio Santo
  • 2010, Hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the Mondragone plain (CE), Unione europea, Alfonso Corniello
  • 2010, PRIN Effects of non synchronism on seismic bridge response, including local site amplification, MIUR, Francesco Silvestri
  • 2010, RELUIS - Site response analysis and lifelines, Dipartimento di Protezione Civile, Francesco Silvestri
  • 2011, Modellazione e calibrazione dei processi biologici che hanno luogo nei Bioreattori a Membrana, MIUR, Massimiliano Fabbricino
  • 2011, Gli effetti delle politiche di mobilità su trasformabilità, ambiente e mercato immobiliare delle aree urbane, Carmela Gargiulo
  • 2012, Energia idroelettrica da osmosi in ambiente costiero, MIUR, Carlo Gualtieri
  • 2012, Contaminanti emergenti in aria, acqua e suolo: dalla sorgente all'ambiente marino, MIUR, Francesco Pirozzi
  • 2012, PON - Ricerca DRIVEIN2, MIUR, Gennaro Nicola Bifulco
  • 2012, PON - TIDE: Tecniche Integrate di Decontaminazione, MIUR, Francesco Pirozzi
  • 2012, PON - TIDE: Tecniche Integrate di Decontaminazione, MIUR, Alfonso Corniello
  • 2012, Interdisciplinary study of Seismic Micro-zoning of Mendoza city, MIUR, Francesco Silvestri
  • 2013, "Operational tools to evaluate the agricultural systems quality in Campanian Plain". Research project Regione Campania. Alfonso Corniello and Daniela Ducci
  • 2013, "Disruption of the System" in the framework of PON 03PE 00093-4 (2007-2013) Project METROPOLIS. Antonio Santo
  • 2014, "On Large scale approaches for the estimate of the site response and soil instabilities". RELUIS 2014-2018 Project, WP4 line. Antonio Santo
  • 2015, "Natural background levels assessment in the groundwater bodies of the Campania Region and proposition of new threshold values". Research project "Campania trasparente". Alfonso Corniello and Daniela Ducci
  • 2013, POR - VERO, Regione Campania, Luca D'Acierno
  • 2013, PON - PROGETTO SICURFER, MIUR, Bruna Festa
  • 2013, PON - DIGITAL PATTERN, MIUR, Bruno Montella
  • 2013, PON - Ricerca SEM: Smart Energy Master per il governo energetico del territorio ricerca, MIUR, Carmela Gargiulo
  • 2013, PON - Ricerca BE&SAVE-AQUASYSTEM-SIGLOD, MIUR, Maurizio Giugni
  • 2013, PON - WATERGRID, MIUR, Maurizio Giugni
  • 2013, PON - METRICS - Studio ed analisi di interventi con iniezioni soffici nel sottosuolo, MIUR, MSE, UE, Alessandro Flora
  • 2014-2016, PON - App4Safety "Metodologie e tecnologie innovative per un approccio integrato alla sicurezza del veicolo", MIUR, Gennaro Nicola Bifulco
  • 2013-16, PON – LIMS "Logistic Information Management Service", MIUR, Vittorio Marzano
  • 2014, PON - MODISTA, MIUR, Bruna Festa
  • 2014,  Progetto RELUIS 2014-2018 (Rete dei Laboratori Universitari di Ingegneria Sismica - linea di ricerca WP4), Francesco Silvestri
  • 2015, POR- TICISI - TrattamentI Colonnari per l'Isolamento Sismico e Idraulico, Regione Campania, Alessandro Flora
  • 2010, Criteri per la costruzione di un modello di sviluppo turistico integrato, MIUR, Elvira Petroncelli
  • 2013, Definizione dei criteri tecnico-scientifici per la realizzazione degli interventi per il recupero dell'architettura rurale in campania, MIBAC e Regione Campania, Marina Fumo
  • 2013 – 2017 CTN01_00176_166167 "TESYS Rail - Tecniche e strumenti per incrementare la sostenibilità ambientale dei sistemi di trasporto ferroviari", V. Punzo
  • 2014 – 2017 PON03PE_00159_4, "FERSAT - studio di un sistema di segnalamento FERroviario basato sull'innovativo utilizzo delle tecnologie SATellitari…", V. Punzo
  • 2015, POR- MORFEO - MonitORaggio Frane per la gestionE del rischiO, Regione Campania, Luca Pagano
  • 2015 La Convenzione Europea del Paesaggio e il paesaggio storico urbano, Regione Campania, Elvira Petroncelli

OTHERS

  • 2010, Urban open spaces resilient to storm water, Università di Napoli Federico II, Alfonso Corniello
  • 2012, Valorizzazione di scarti agroalimentari per la rimozione di 1. inquinanti organici ed inorganici dalle acque reflue di comparti industriali idroesigenti, in vista del riutilizzo delle acque trattate, Compagnia di San Paolo, Massimiliano Fabbricino
  • 2013, Programma "Messaggeri della conoscenza", ID 397 Construction Contracting. Decreto Direttoriale MIUR 346 del 26/02/2013, Gianluca Dell'Acqua
  • 2013, Programma "Messaggeri della conoscenza", ID 398 Construction Equipment and Methods. Decreto Direttoriale MIUR 346 del 26/02/2013, Gianluca Dell'Acqua
  • 2013, Programma "Messaggeri della conoscenza", ID 480 Advanced Construction Equipment Management. Decreto Direttoriale MIUR 346 del 26/02/2013, Gianluca Dell'Acqua
  • 2013 Programma "Messaggeri della conoscenza", ID 482 Project Management. Decreto Direttoriale MIUR 346 del 26/02/2013, Gianluca Dell'Acqua
  • 2014, Analisi della sicurezza stradale in ambito extraurbano, Compagnia di San Paolo, Salvatore Antonio Biancardo
  • 2015-2017 SMURFS "Unified framework for next-generation data collection, sensing and modelling in future urban freight systems", Compagnia di San Paolo, Vittorio Marzano
  • 2015 Assessment toolkit in complying with the Directive 2008/96/EC on Road Infrastructure Safety Management. Programma per il finanziamento della ricerca di Ateneo 2015, Francesca Russo, Pierpaolo D'Agostino, Rosa Anna La Rocca

Libraries, labs and facilities

The library of the Department of Civil , Architectural and Environmental Engineering (DICEA) has more than 47,000 volumes , monographs and periodicals.
It is divided into four sections , divided by areas of interest:

  • Transportation Engineering - Via Claudio, 21 - Building 5
  • Hydraulic, Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering - Via Claudio, 21 - Building 8 and Piazzale Tecchio, 80 –5th  Floor
  • Land use planning and Landscape Engineering - Piazzale Tecchio , 80 - 5th  Floor
  • Building Engineering  - Piazzale Tecchio, 80 -  8th  Floor

DICEA has available ten Laboratories to support the research activities, seven of them at via Claudio (with a total surface area of 3000 sq. m. plus additional outdoor areas for a total of about 1,400 sq. m.) and three in the building at Piazzale Tecchio (total area about 500 sq. m.).

Laboratories and equipments at via Claudio

  • The Laboratory of Soil and Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering is located at the ground floor of the building C8 on an area of approximately 740 sq.m. Equipment is available in the laboratory for mechanical characterization of soils and rocks. There are both traditional equipment (mostly for public engagement) and advanced prototypes developed by researchers at DICEA (used as part of research projects). The laboratory also has equipment for: monitoring of geotechnical works, load tests, seismic characterization of ground.
  • The Laboratory of Hydraulics and hydraulic and maritime constructions is located in the building C8. It covers a total area of 1400 sq.m indoor and 1200 sq.m outdoor. The workshop is divided into four functional areas: an outdoor area, where the larger hydraulic models are prepared, an outdoor basin equipped with wave generators, a large covered workshop, an educational area. The whole laboratory is served by a network of water supply lines and drainage, provided with tanks of different sizes, collection tanks, groups pumps serving each tank, flow-meters.
  • The Laboratory of groundwater occupies an area adjacent to the Laboratory of  Hydraulics and hydraulic and maritime constructions. The workshop covers an area of approximately 250 sq.m divided into two distinct areas: the first devoted to the mechanical characterization and the second to modelling. The main instruments of the laboratory are: an automatic siever, ovens and muffle furnaces, scales, load cells, rain gauges, piezometers, tensiometers, TDR probes, data acquisition systems, groundwater level meters, well camera, groundwater samplers. In the laboratory, experimental and numerical researches are carried out as part of research projects and service agreements.
  • The Laboratory of Analysis and Environmental Research (LARA) is partly located in a wing of the third floor of the C8 DICEA, and in part in a large room at the ground floor, where the pilot plants are hosted. The overall surface of the part on the third floor of LARA is approximately 200 sq.m, divided into three rooms: one is conditioned at constant temperature, for carrying out tests and analyses that require special environmental conditions; one is designed to house additional bench-scale experimental facilities, and to host a small workshop and shelves with tools; the last is equipped for routine analyses on contaminated water and solid matrices, also equipped with cabinets for storage of glassware and reactants, and two hoods, for running tests with volatile compounds.
  • The laboratory for road materials (La.S.Tra.)- The activities at the La.S.Tra Laboratory are aimed to address several issues: a) bitumen characterization carrying out traditional and reometric tests; b) soils and aggregates characterization; c) asphalt concrete mixtures characterization carrying out volumetric and mechanical tests; d) bearing capacity Tests in situ of substrates, and mechanical and functional characterization of pavements; e) in-deep study of raw secondary materials in road constructions
  • Road safety laboratory -  The main activities of the laboratory are: a) simulator-based road safety audits based on objective drivers' behaviour measures and subjective drivers' perception of the road by means of driving simulation; b) innovative crash analysis methods, identification of crash contributory factors, identification and ranking of safety countermeasures; d) road safety inspections; f) road safety plans
  • The laboratory for planning and design of transportation systems - Covers an area of about 110 sq.m., located at building 5 in via Claudio 21. Main activities cover: a) transportation demand analysis and mobility analyses; b) traffic analyses and traffic counts for the identification of flow and mobility patterns; c) analysis of the transport/land-use interaction; d) design, assessment and evaluation of transport planning schemes and public engagement models; e) design and optimization of traffic networks and services for public transport; f) analysis and design of logistic systems and terminals and last-mile logistics.
  • The laboratory for virtual reality and innovative technologies for transportation is composed by in-door and field facilities. It is articulated over an area of about 120 sq.m. at building 5 in via Claudio 21, an high fidelity driving simulator hosted by the "Istituto Motori" of the National Research Council in via Marconi and an ITS test-bed that is a prototype of "Smart Road" 2.5 Km long. The test-bed is equipped with traffic monitoring sensors, traffic control devices and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication devices. Within the laboratory several solution are developed, including: a) Cooperative-ITS solutions; b) driving behavior studies; c) solutions for automated and connected vehicles; d) advanced traveler information systems; e) studies and certifications for Smart Roads; f) Model In the Loop (MIL), Driver In the Loop (DIL) and Vehicle in the Loop (VHIL) tools for the automotive industry.

Laboratories and equipments at p.le Tecchio

  • The Mobility, Territory and Environment Laboratory (TeMALab) occupies an area of about 150 sq.m on the ninth floor of the building of P.le Tecchio. It is accompanied by 4 computer workstations for processing and 3d for the realization of webgis of the latest generation. And it structured for making audio-video, animations for dissemination purposes,  online archives. The structure allows streaming online lessons and seminars that are held in place.
  • The Survey and Modelling Laboratory (REMLab) takes up about 50 sq.m at the 7th  floor in the Tecchio square building. It is the investigation container of the research group of Representation and Visualization topics. In it, are available software equipment aimed to raster graphics and solid modelling and hardware tools specifically addressed to topographic survey, laser-scanning and photo-scanning implementation and processing, interactive and multimedia production.
  • The Laboratory of Building Engineering occupies an area of about 200 sq.m in the basement of the building of P.le Tecchio. In the laboratory, experiments are carried out in order to study the durability of materials and building components. It has the following equipment: dry corrosion test cabinet, a TSA 130S, a climatic chamber Challenge 250, and a RT 1000 for the simulation of the action of rain.

Laboratories and equipments at San Giovanni

  • The Hydro Energy Laboratory (HELab) is a unique third party laboratory for hydro-mechanical group qualification test, included in the new standard EN16480, according to directives 2005/32/EC and 2009/125/EC. The lab is provided with three test rig for pumps of different size, motor and groups. An automatic control system allow fast measurements of all, hydraulic, mechanical and electric parameters. HELab competencies refer to electro-pump effociency, energy production, fluid mechanics, prototipation and tecnology transfer.
  • LaMoDiT: mobile laboratory of soil dynamics is a certified laboratory for dynamic in situ measurement and vibration monitoring. It is hosted in two rooms with an area of about 100 sq.m at the new facility center in San Giovanni. It is aimed at the prediction, monitoring and evaluation of vibration effects on sensitive elements. The lab is also equipped to carry out geophysical tests as Cross hole and down hole as well as measurement of surface waves like SASW and MASW test.
  • The Laboratory for Advanced Experiments on Roads and Traffic Environments (LAERTE) covers an area of about 60 sq.m at the new facility center in San Giovanni. The lab is active in the field of testing and validation of driving automation solutions in real environments. The development of new methods and models is carried out by means of advanced tools such as a couple of twin driving simulators, two fully-instrumented vehicles, an IPG Roadbox, as well as fixed and mobile tools for the measurement of traffic patterns. LAERTE works in research partnership with FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobile), Teoresi, Netcomm and other industrial partners.

Third mission

CONTINUING EDUCATION

DICEA provides a contribution to societal needs through mechanisms of continuing education, allowing skills to be provided that local companies and governmental agencies require. Numerous industrial research projects testify the interaction with the local productive actors of DICEA, directly or through consortia in which it participates. In such projects DICEA has worked alongside the economic actors and providers of local services.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Due to the different scientific areas that participate in the DICEA, the activities of public engagement are performed with apparent specificities. Both service providers and public and local agencies are among the primary targets of public engagement. Analyses and solutions to societal challenges are often producted for them. These are activities that intercept processing procedures, and decision sharing on issues of public value. The DICEA participates to public events where original solutions based on innovative models and technologies are presented to economic agents. Examples for these events are the Maker Fair in Rome and the Futuro Remoto event in Naples, both in September 2016.

PATENTS

  • Armando Carravetta & Riccardo Martino MI20101957 EN 2012 - Apparatus for measuring soil moisture: The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring soil humidity, especially employable in drip sub-irrigation systems, which allows the measure of the humidity of soil to be systematically sampled in correspondence or in the proximity of the root apparatus of each different row of cultivated plants. The aim of the apparatus is to optimize the quantity of water delivered to the different plants, preventing the waste of water resources.
  • 2017: Emilio Bilotta e Alessandro Flora UA2016A003021 IT-MISE- PROCEDURE TO LIMIT THE PROPAGATION OF VIBRATIONS THROUGH GROUND: the invention concerns a procedure to limit both seismic-induced and anthropic vibration propagating through ground, by grouting of soft polymers in the soil, to protect buildings and monuments.

SPIN OFF

  • The spin-off Terre Leggere is a collaboration of some of the DICEA faculty members with a firm specialized in the construction of geotechnical works (the PIGI Ltd. Construction and Foundations). Terre Leggere performs works, supplies products and provides advanced services in the fields of civil construction that interact with the subsoil. Specifically, it provides solutions to geotechnical problems by employing processes, products and technologies of its own production or of third parties. http://www.terreleggere.com
  • Inputspace was born as a spin-off of DICEA in 2016 and was established as an innovative start-up under the name of Inputspace s. r. l in the same year.
    Inputspace is active in the transport sector developing innovative solutions for the mobility of persons and goods. During the first year of life, it has developed two mobility solutions available as smartphone applications. Strappo® is an innovative car-poling/ride-sharing service that works both in real time (dynamic) and planning mode (pre-trip). In 2018 the service will be integrated with public transport (www.strappo.xyz). Ninjapark® is a smart application for on street parking search (www.ninjapark.xyz).
  • AGS Ideas Srl (www.ags-ideas.com) is an Academic Spin-off approved by the Board of Directors on March 30, 2017, included in the Company's Register as an innovative start-up since September 27, 2016. AGS aims to develop innovative services of high technological value for the road safety improvement. AGS has developed a web-based software, named ReGIS for crash data collection, processing and analysis.

More

  • The DICEA is directly associated with: the National Association for Telematics for Transport and Safety (TTS Italy), the International Association for Hydro-environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), International Association of Hydrogeologists, the National Institute of Urban Planning (INU), the Italian Group of Environmental  and Sanitary Engineering (GITISA), the Italian Group of Hydraulics (GII), the Interuniversity Consortium for Hydrology (CINID),  the Italian National Unification UNI, the Italian Hydrotechnical Association (IIA), the Italian Geotechnical Association (AGI), Società Italiana dei Docenti dei Trasporti, Associazione Italiana Ingegneri Traffico e Trasporti.
  • Within the general scope of the exploitation of research and technology transfer activities are carried out at DICEA through intermediary structures. Beyond the participation in the Placement Office of Softel (as other Departments of Federico II), DICEA is involved in several activities of the Consortia created by the University of Napoli Federico II, and namely of the following: AMRA (http://www.amracenter.com/it/), NITEL (http://www.nitel.it/), TEST (http://www.testcrdc.it/), STRESS (http://www.stress-scarl.com/it/).
  • DICEA participates to the Federico II task-force for Manufacturing 4.0; moreover, it represents the University of Naples within the Cluster Tecnologico Nazionale Trasporti Italia 2020.