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An app is developed based on intangible cultural heritage to prevent memory loss in elderly people
July 21, 2021Researchers from the Construction Engineering (EC) research group, the Architecture and Technology Group (GAT), the Laboratory of Innovation and Technology in Architecture (LiTA), and the Construction and Road Materials (MATCAR) group have developed a methodology to improve the management of urban heritage, addressing essential aspects in the process of reinforcement or repair, as well as during its lifespan.
One of the most common options for reinforcing structural elements is spraying cementitious materials, which form an adhered layer on the reinforced structural element. Although this technique holds great potential for rehabilitation, its widespread and efficient use has limitations. MAPPU aims to improve existing knowledge of the material, technical, and structural calculation methods required to carry out reinforcements using a single sprayed layer that safely meets all the specified requirements.
The technological breakthrough that MAPPU has achieved in the sprayed reinforcement method is based on four key factors. First, the improvement of the materials used through the development of lightweight structural sprayed mixtures, with low permeability, compensated shrinkage, and more sustainable properties, which allow for easier application and enhanced reinforcement. Second, by developing structural calculation models that take into account the specific characteristics of the sprayed material (whether lightweight or of normal density), optimizing the design in terms of adhesion to reinforcements and creep (i.e., the increase in deformation of the sprayed layer under constant load, which over time leads to an increase in the load absorbed by the reinforced structure).
Third, through the improvement of quality control techniques used to assess the behavior of the sprayed material at the beginning of its lifespan. Finally, integrated durability models that allow for the design and analysis of the lifespan of the structure should be proposed, considering both the reinforcement and the existing structure.
As a result of all this, the potential risks due to material degradation have been reduced, and the safety of the structures has been increased. New models have also been proposed that are not yet available in the standards for the structural design of sprayed layers. This will expand the application scope of the technique, reduce material costs, and decrease the consumption of natural resources.
MAPPU has lasted four years (from December 2016 to December 2020), was part of the State R&D&I Program oriented towards Societal Challenges of MINECO, and had a budget of €96,800.
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- The Visualisation, Virtual Reality and Graphic Interaction Research Group (ViRVIG) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) has participated in the XR4ED project, an initiative that connects the educational technology (EdTech) and Extended Reality (XR) sectors, with the aim of transforming learning and training across Europe.
- The inLab FIB at the UPC has collaborated with Lizcore® for the development of a proof of concept based on artificial intelligence to improve safety in climbing with autobelay devices. The system allows the automatic and accurate detection of risk situations before starting a route.
- Researchers from the Centre for Image and Multimedia Technology of the UPC (CITM) and from the DiCode research group (Digital Culture and Creative Technologies Research Group) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) have worked on the project The Eyes of History, an initiative of the Catalan Agency for Cultural Heritage that offers an immersive view of Catalan cultural heritage. It is especially aimed at the first and second cycles of secondary education and was created to bring heritage into the classroom. Its goal is to bring the history and monuments of Catalonia closer in a vivid and innovative way, using tools such as virtual reality and new museographic narratives.
- City and Play is a social action project coordinated by researchers from the Centre for Image and Multimedia Technology (CITM) and the DiCode research group (Digital Culture and Creative Technologies Research Group) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC), the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and the University of Barcelona (UB), and funded by Barcelona City Council. The aim of the project is to promote civic competences and reflection on the urban environment among adolescents through the creation of an open framework that uses methodologies based on play, co-creation and storytelling.
