Jean-Marc Battini

The demands on modern infrastructure and buildings have increased dramatically in recent decades. One reason is that, due to climate change and fears of terrorist attacks, structures must be able to withstand higher loads. Another reason is that sustainable structures must be built with as few materials as possible. In order to meet these new requirements, it is necessary to have an in-depth understanding of the mechanical properties of structures. This requires extensive field experiments, in combination with advanced mathematical computer models.

Jean-Marc Battini's research focuses on the development and implementation of new numerical models that can be used to design modern infrastructure and buildings. The models, which often require extensive data processing time, are verified and calibrated through experiments on existing structures. Three examples of current research are: studies of how vibration from traffic and people affects buildings, which is becoming an important issue in many cities; development of new numerical tools to predict the collapse of burning buildings; and how soil-structure interaction affects the dynamic properties of railway bridges. The research takes place in close collaboration with leading firms of technical consultants in Sweden and researchers at two top universities in France and Italy.