Laboratory of Structural Analysis and Antiseismic Research

The Institute of Structural Analysis & Antiseismic Research belongs to the Structural Engineering Department of the School of Civil Engineering and is one of the oldest institutes of NTUA. The institute operates since 1917 and officially was established with the No. 132 Royal Decree (Official Gazette A’, Sheet No. 32, 02/22/1962).

The objectives of the Institute cover the design and analysis of constructions and the seismic design of structures. In addition to supporting the educational work of the Civil Engineering School, the Institute conducts basic and applied research through diploma theses, post-graduate dissertations, PhD theses and research projects and provides specialized services to public and private entities.

The Institute has an experimental laboratory equipped with a crane of maximum lifting capacity 12.5 tons, actuator which can impose displacements-forces up to 100kN with the potential to apply dynamic displacement time-histories, actuators that can impose pseudo-static load case scenarios, small-scale Seismic Table of one degree of freedom and light experimental setups for testing statically determinate and indeterminate frame structures for educational purposes.

The Institute has also a network of personal computers for conducting numerical simulations independently or with connecting to the computer center of NTUA, which consists of 100 personal (desktop and laptop) computers of the latest generation as well as clusters of interconnected computers. Finally, the Institute has a lecture room also equipped with a network of personal computers.

The main body of research activities of the Institute is performed in the following two main areas: (a) Computational Structural Mechanics (linear and nonlinear theory of elasticity, elastic stability of bodies, static and dynamic analysis of structures, non-linear elastoplastic analysis of structures, analysis of hysteretic systems, identification of nonlinear systems) and (b) Analysis and Design of Structures (optimal design of structures, stochastic analysis and design, analysis of historic structures, seismic isolation, assessment of bearing capacity, rehabilitation and strengthening of structures).