Research
The academic team of the Smart-G spent years to carry out trials and field tests in geotechnical engineering field. This makes the company able to develop and to plan researching activites aiming to develop innovative tecniques and design methods. The ultimate aim is to offer new and efficient methodologies to the labour market of geotechnical engineering.
Soil Liquefaction Mitigation
Horizontal drains
Horizontal drains represent an innovative techniques to mitigate the liquefaction of soil. As common vertical drains, they are able to dissipate exess pore pressures build-up during the seismic event. This innovative technique has been tested by means of true-scale trial-field, realised in Pieve di Cento (BG), measuring the evolution of the excess pore pressures in the sourraunding soil, during a shaking induced by a special machine. The field tests have proved a higth effectiveness in the excess pore pressures dissipation. Moreover, the horizontal drains can be applied under the existing structures, being highly appealing as a metigation action for urbanized areas
Bio-Induced Partial Saturation (IPS)
A recent research activity has been based on the development of an IPS methodology to nucleate gas bubbles within the voids of the liquefiable soil. Takink advantage of microrganism metabolism, it has been possible to develop a bio-chemical solution able to induce the partial saturation directly within the soil, leading to a higher compressibility of the equivalent pore fluid as well as a higher resistance to liquefaction. The technology tested at lab scale has been proved to be effective and environmental compatible
Laponite
The injection of high plasticity material has been tested in laboratory tests to asses its effectiveness to decrease liquefaction susceptibility. By mixing to the soil grains a low amount of Laponite (a synthetic nanoparticle) it has been proved a lower relative-mobility of the grains themselves, leading to an increase in the liquefaction resistance
Geotechnical Seismic Isolation
Super-Absorbent-Polymers (SAP)
This Super Absorbent Polymer can absorb a high amount of water, resulting in a gel-material formation. An important decrease in the shear stiffness of the soil can be achived, either using pure SAP or mixed with soil. This effect can be usefull to reduce drastically the propagation of the dynamic waves through the ground layers. Effective dynamic isolation systems can be realized using SAP to isolate new and existing structures and infrastructures
Innovative seismic isolation system (SMART-GAP)
This innovative base seismic isolation system to reduce inertial forces acting on super-structure during seismic events. This solution allows to seismically isolate existing structures, thanks to a low-invasive installation procedure. The system can be usefully applied to the foundations of masonry buildings that represent the majority of the existing structures, and particularly those of historical and cultural heritage. The isolating device, as well as its installation methodology, must own several innovative characteristics in order to: i) be diffusively installed below foundation (rather than in keybearing columns, thus constricted to the structural characteristics); ii) be installed without acting on the super-structure; iii) transfer static bearing stresses to the isolation devices. All those aspects result in an innovative isolation system taking advantages of the use of the well-known micropiles – widely used for underpinning existing structures in geotechnical practice – coupled with tiny isolation devices able to be installed between two micropile’s segments, in proximity of the pile cap.
(Sistema e metodo di fondazione con isolamento sismico di edifici – Italian Patent n.102020000016588)
Ground Improvement Techniques
Smart-G takes advantage of a wide know-how, coming from academic research’s activity, particulary focused on ground improvement techniques. The aim of the start-up is to make the most innovative know-how available for the industry, leading to innovative and effective approaches
Jet Grouting
Jet Grouting technique represents nowadays a largely-used methodology to face a wide range of geotechnical engineering issues, spacing from retaining to hydraulic applications. Nevertheless, the increasing knowledge coming from research activity is not completely absorbed by the industry. Traditional applications can be implemented by means of innovative design approaches, based on a large experimental observations, leading to a more efficient and low-costs applications, taking into account geometric imperfections thanks to a reliable statistical design approach