The SupERB research project is related to the priority sector “Built Environment and Structures”, under the sub-sector “Modern design of structures and infrastructures” covering the focus area ” Upgrading of existing building stock” focusing on the theme “Seismic and Energy upgrading” of the RPF Program “Restart 2016-2020”.

The SupERB project is coordinated by the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics of the Cyprus University of Technology under the supervision of Professor Christis Z. Chrysostomou. The consortium consists of the following organisations:

• CYPRUS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
• UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS
• FREDERICK RESEARCH CENTER
• TSIRCON CO. LTD
• GEOINVEST LTD
• C. GEOMATIC LTD
• LIMASSOL MUNICIPALITY
• MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
• MINISTRY OF ENERGY, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
• SCIENTIFIC TECHNICAL CHAMBER OF CYPRUS (ETEK)
• UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS (as Foreign Research Organisation-FRO)

The objective of the SupERB proposal is to develop a holistic and novel methodology for the optimum simultaneous upgrading of existing buildings for seismic resistance and energy efficiency, taking into account economic, technical, geo-location, durability and environmental factors. The objectives of the project provide improved safety against seismic loading and enhanced energy efficiency to reinforced concrete (RC) and load-bearing masonry buildings, which comprise the majority of the building stock in Southern Europe.

As far as the seismic upgrading of RC buildings is concerned, the proposed methodology introduces the concept of increasing the capacity of non-structural components and thus providing them with the integrity to contribute to the seismic resistance capacity of the RC building as a supportive mechanism to the structural one (RC frames formed as a combination of RC columns and beams). Regarding the seismic upgrading of load-bearing masonry buildings, the proposed methodology introduces the concept of increasing the capacity of the load-bearing walls, which in most of the cases lack any shear resistance and thus are vulnerable to seismic loads that introduce horizontal loads to structures. The same approach mentioned above for RC-structures will be used in order to increase the monolithicity of the wall and strengthen areas of weakness.