Rescuing heritage on shaky ground
Earthquakes can destroy cultural heritage assets, which often are irreversibly lost. From medieval Italian churches to ancient Greek temples, southern Europe's heritage is particularly under threat from seismic activity. Against this backdrop, the EU-funded project NIKER looked at ways to protect such cultural assets. The project looked at the concept of optimised intervention, which involves the reinforcement of structures with minimum interventions that do not visibly intrude on style and appearance. It studied how buildings fail, as well as intervention and assessment techniques, to develop a new approach. This involved upgrading traditional materials with innovative industrial processes such as micro-silica for injection and application of nanolimes, as well as enhancement of energy dissipation capacity. After validating these different technologies on walls, pillars, floors, vaults, roofs and other structural components, the project developed early warning techniques for intelligent interventions and advanced monitoring techniques. It built a comprehensive database that links earthquake-induced failure mechanisms, construction types, materials, interventions and assessment techniques. In parallel, NIKER developed new integrated materials and technologies that improve the seismic behaviour of cultural heritage assets. The novel solutions were then compiled into guidelines for end users. Strong participation of small and medium-sized businesses in the process, including industry, public authorities and end users from different countries, has helped ensure the success of the project. Many of the project's results are outlined on its website . Several benefits are expected to emerge from this initiative, including improved safety and quality of life for citizens, as well as enhanced attractiveness and sustainability of Europe's historical monuments and buildings. Most importantly, stronger structures and buildings will help save the lives of people and help preserve our history at the same time. Lastly, sectors such as construction, engineering and tourism stand to benefit from the results of NIKER in the long run.
