Science and Research

Laboratories of the Faculty of Civil Engineering 


The laboratory equipment was purchased as part of the European structural and investment funds project:
Research Infrastructure for Campus-based Laboratories at the University of Rijeka- RISK

Equipment catalogue

Online walk through the labs


Ongoing research projects of the Faculty of Civil Engineering 

EU projects

PREFABRICATED BUILDINGS OF ALMOST ZERO ENERGY PRODUCED IN AN INDUSTRIAL WAY

The project "Prefabricated buildings of almost zero energy produced in an industrial way" is financed from the European Structural and Investment funds within the Call "Increasing the development of new products and services arising from research and development activities - phase II".

The purpose of the project is to strengthen innovation and international competitiveness TEHNOPLAST PROFILES and Partners by developing a new innovative product - Prefabricated buildings of almost zero energy produced in an industrial way, as a result of IRI activities in the implementation of collaborative research Tehnoplast profiles Ltd. and Palijan Ltd., and the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka. The realization of the project will also contribute to the strengthening of the research capacities of Tehnoplast profili Ltd. and Palijan Ltd., and the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka, and encouraging their effective cooperation in the implementation of targeted investments in IRI activities in TPP Energy and Environment. The expected result of IRI activities represents a new step forward in the field of research and development with the application of new and existing knowledge and skills for the development of a new product. The concrete result of research and development will be the calculation model of the resistance of composite panels loaded to bending and transverse force, and the resistance of the ceiling panel - wall panel connection loaded to transverse force. The results of this research represent a new step forward and a turning point in construction.

Project leader: TEHNOPLAST PROFILI Ltd.
Partner institutions: PALIJAN Ltd., Faculty of Civil Engineering (prof. Davor Grandić- leader for the faculty, asist.prof. Paulina Krolo, asist.prof. Paulo Šćulac, asoc.prof. Mladen Bulić, asist.prof. Natalija Bede, Jug Drobac)
Project implementation period: 8/2020-8/2023

LANDSLIDE RESERCH FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RISK MITIGATION AND PREVENTION MEASURES (PRI-MJER)

The project " Landslide reserch for the development of risk mitigation and prevention measures" (PRI-MJER) is funded by the EU Regional Development Fund under the Call "Scheme for strengthening applied research for climate change adaptation measures"-official trailer
 

Project leader: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum

Partner institutions: Faculty of Civil Engineering (Professor Željko Arbanas, Petra Jagodnik, senior lecturer)
Project implementation period: 5/2020-5/2023

The project "PRI-MJER" introduces the concept of measures to adapt to climate change to mitigate and prevent the risk of landslides, and systematically deals with researching ways and elaborating the benefits of their application. The project promotes the concept of landslide risk reduction in a way that will provide the tools and knowledge necessary for decision makers at all levels. The project will also raise public awareness of climate change, make the research results publicly available and strengthen the capacity of researchers.

Web page: https://pri-mjer.hr/ /Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFHGTL-EPjTVeUci8YaJA4A

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MANAGEMENT OF KARST COASTAL AQUATICS THREATENED TO CLIMATE CHANGE

The project " Management of karst coastal aquatics threatened to climate change" is funded by the EU Regional Development Fund under the Call "Scheme for strengthening applied research for climate change adaptation measures"

Project leader: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Geotechnics
Partner institutions: Faculty of Civil Engineering (Assistant Professor Josip Rubinić-leader and Assistant Professor Igor Ružić, Assistant Professor Bojana Horvat, Maja Radišić, Duje Kalajžić), Croatian Geological Institute, State Hydrometeorological Institute

The aim of the project is to investigate (monitor and model) the negative effects of climate change in the karst aquifers of coastal areas - increase in salinity and water temperature, deterioration in quality and search for adaptation measures. It will be carried out in the period 2020-2022 in three pilot areas in Croatia - Lake Vrana on the island of Cres, for which the Faculty Civil Engineering in Rijeka is responsible, the Bokanjac Basin - Poličnik near Zadar, for which the Faculty of Geotechnics from Varaždin is responsible, and Blatsko polje on Korčula, for which Croatian Geological Institute is responsible. The Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka is responsible for the hydrological activities in all three pilot areas, for which the State Hydrometeorological Institute is conducting simulations of future climate change, and the Faculty of Geotechnics is leading the project.

PROTECTION OF STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IN ENERGY AND TRANSPORT

The project "Protection of structural integrity in energy and transport" is financed from the EUROPEAN STRUCTURAL AND INVESTMENT FUNDS within the Call "Investment in Science and Innovation"

Project leader: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture
Partner institutions: Faculty of Civil Engineering (Prof. Ivica Kožar, PhD, Assistant Professor Neira Torić Malić, PhD) and University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing

Structures and systems are becoming more and more complex, and the demands placed on efficiency, safety and reliability in design and operation are becoming an increasing challenge. As one of the imperatives, the application of intelligent systems for monitoring and managing dynamically loaded structures has recently been imposed with the aim of protecting the integrity of the structure, i.e. preventing the occurrence of damage and extending its service life. The project focuses on the energy and transport sector, for structures such as wind turbines, turbines, generators, reciprocating engines, parts of process plants, road, rail and other vehicles, conveyors and the like. In order to design an effective system for structural integrity protection, it is necessary to integrate the achievements of basic sciences (theory of automatic and robust control, numerical methods in mechanics, optimisation, etc.), application and integration of modern technologies (control and measurement systems), testing and materials science and related areas. These areas represent the narrower research areas of the project, in particular the "Centre of Excellence for Structural Health Structural Health" (CEEStructHealth) project, and specialized laboratories within the applicant and partner organizations.

KLIMOD
The project "Computer model of flow, flooding and spread of pollution in rivers and coastal areas" is funded by the EUROPEAN STRUCTURAL AND INVESTMENT FUNDS within the Call "Scheme for strengthening applied research for climate change adaptation measures".
Project leader: Faculty of Engineering, University of Rijeka
Partner institutions: Faculty of Civil Engineering (Associate Professor Vanja Travaš, PhD) and Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Ruđer Bošković Institute

The project carries out applied scientific research and develops a computer model for effective modelling of the flow and spread of pollution in open watercourses and in the coastal sea area, accepting river tributaries, torrents, and industrial and wastewater discharges into the coastal sea area. At the same time, a prediction model of microbiological pollution based on artificial intelligence models and the integration of microplastic models of pollution dispersion into the overall model will be developed. The computer model is adapted to the supercomputer environment, which enables high-resolution simulations to be carried out with the aim of implementing measures to mitigate the effects of climate change in priority vulnerable and transversal areas.

THREAD

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 860124.

The Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Rijeka participates together with 11 other European universities in the implementation of the Horizon 2020 MSCA ITN network of projects called Joint Training on Numerical Modelling of Highly-flexible Structures for Industrial Applications (THREAD)

Coordinator: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany)
Leader at the Faculty of Civil Engineering: prof.dr.sc. Gordan Jelenić. Team members at the Faculty of Civil Engineering: Edita Papa Dukić, Nina Čeh, Teo Mudrić

The THREAD project deals with mechanical modelling, mathematical formulations and numerical methods for highly flexible slim structures and connects engineers and mathematicians in common challenges in industrial application and development of freely accessible software. Young researchers - PhD students - employed within the project will be given broad access to local and networked teaching activities covering the latest research results and additional skills, as well as close cooperation with project partners from industry, who will conduct a broad program of PhD students to gain additional engineering experience. The Faculty of the Civil Engineering University of Rijeka will carry out a research program to develop new and efficient algorithms for modelling the behaviour of satellite dishes under conditions of high inertial forces and high vibration frequencies during launch. As a project partner from industry, the Slovenian Space Agency Space SI from Ljubljana will be involved in the research, where the PhD student will spend three months, while the PhD student will spend another month at the Universities of Innsbruck and Liège. The equations of motion defined on nonlinear manifolds will be integrated in a precise and stable way and the contact forces between curved satellite dishes and the environment during the launch will be determined, and part of the research program will experimentally verify the results in the seismic corner of the Faculty Laboratory for structures.

 
       
  COST
Ph.D. Leo Škec joined the project as a deputy member of the board of directors within the framework of the CA18203: "Optimizing Design for Inspection" COST action in order to contribute to the successful implementation of the project with his expertise in the field of numerical modelling of damage to composite structures.

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Projects of the Croatian Science Foundation
 
 The Faculty of Civil Engineering is the leader of four projects of the Croatian Science Foundation

Project name	Leader	Team members	Founding  (HRK)	Implementation period
Method of adopted deformations for finite elements of layered plates and shells and its application to delamination problems	izv.prof.dr.sc. Dragan Ribarić	G. Jelenić, L. Škec, M. Grbac, I. Hlača, M. Ranjbar Zefreh	612.568,00	2017-2021
Physical modeling of the behavior of structures for landslide remediation in the conditions of static and seismic actions	prof.dr.sc. Željko Arbanas	S.Dugonjić Jovančević, V. Jagodnik, M. Vivoda Prodan, J.Peranić, P. Jagodnik, S. Pajalić, N. Čeh	994.500,00	2018-2022
The concept of the fixed pole in the numerical modeling of the Cosserat continuum	prof.dr.sc. Gordan Jelenić	D. Ribarić, E. Papa Dukić, N. Čeh, M. Gaćeša, L. Žiković	990.000,00	2018-2022
Separation of parameter influences in engineering modeling with parametric identification	prof.dr.sc. Ivica Kožar	J. Ožbolt, B. Podobnik, N. Torić Malić, S. Mrakovčić, I. Štimac Grandić, N. Bede, A. Perušić Pribanić, A. Bogdanić, I. Pranjić	914.000,00	2019-2023

The Faculty of Civil Engineering is an associate on six projects of the Croatian Science Foundation

Project name	Leader	Team members	Founding  (HRK)	Implementation period
Prototype of a multi - purpose composite panel wood - load - bearing glass	Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb/ prof. dr.sc. Vlatka Rajčić	Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka/ izv.prof.dr.sc. A. Bjelanović-partner	749.350,00	2017-2020
Strengthening of master curricula in water resources management for the Western Balkans HEIs and stakeholders- SWARM	University Niš/prof. Barbara Karleuša for the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka	University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofija; - Univerzitet "Džemal Bijedić", Mostar; Universität für Bodenkultur BOKU, Beč; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; University of Lisbon; Univerzitet u Novom Sadu; Univerzitet u Sarajevu; Univerzitet u Prištini, Kosovska Mitrovica; Visoka tehnička škola strukovnih studija iz Uroševca; Univerzitet Crne Gore; Vode Vojvodine	25.976,00€	2018-2020
Sustainable construction of backfilled beaches - Construction of new and increase of existing ones	Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb/ izv.prof.dr.sc. Dalibor Carević	Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka/ doc.dr.sc. I. Ružić, doc.dr.sc. N. Krvavica, prof. emeritus Č.Benac, prof.dr.sc. S. Ilić- partner	2.026.365,50	2019-2023
Development of a landslide susceptibility assessment methodology for land use planning using LiDAR technology	Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering/ prof.dr.sc. Snježana Mihalić Arbanas	Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka/ prof.dr.sc. Ž. Arbanas, dr.sc. P. Jagodnik-partner	573.970,00	2020-2026
Cement stabilized bearing layers with waste rubber for sustainable pavements - RubSuPave	Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Osijek/ izv.prof.dr.sc. Ivana Barišić	Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka/ doc.dr.sc. S. Šurdonja, I. Pranjić; M. Cuculić; GIC Gradnje d.o.o. Rogaška Slatina, Slovenija – partneri	1. 331 050,00	2020-2025
Impact of open fires on soil and water quality	Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, prof. dr. sc. Ivica Kisić	Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka/  N. Ožanić, B. Karleuša, G. Volf, B. Horvat	911. 830,00	2018-2022
Rammed earth for modelling and standardization in seismically active areas	Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Osijek/ doc.dr.sc. Ivan Kraus	Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka/ P. Krolo	1.989.000,00	2021-2025

 

         Other international projects

Source of funding	Project name	Leader	Team members	Founding  (HRK)	Implementation period
International Programme on Landslides, International Consortium on Landslides	Rockfall hazard identification and rockfall protection in the coastal zone of Croatia	prof.dr.sc. Željko Arbanas	S. Dugonjić Jovančević, V. Jagodnik, M. Vivoda Prodan, J. Peranić, P. Jagodnik,  S. Pajalić Rudarsko geološko naftni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu-S. Mihalić Arbanas, M.Sečanj	26.800,00	2017-2021
MZO RH i Ministarstvo znanosti i tehnologije Narodne Republike Kine	Experimental testing of large span structures under the influence of multiple support excitation	prof.dr.sc. Gordan Jelenić	Dalian University of Technology, Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, School of Civil Engineering (kineski partner); N. Čeh, S. Grbčić, H. Qin, Y. Zheng, T. Zhang, Q. Yang	60.000,00	2018-2020
MZO (HR) i Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst - DAAD	Rigid block rocking on an elastic structure - approach by the method of non-smooth contact dynamics and experimental verification	Prof. dr. sc. Gordan Jelenić	Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Faculty for Natural Sciences II, Institute of Mathematics; M. Tuhtan, T. Mudrić, N. Čeh, S. Hante, M. Paschowski	44.484,00	2019-2020
UKF fond (Unity Through Knowledge)	Collisions in rocking multi-body systems – experimental and numerical investigation	doc. dr.sc. Nina Čeh	prof. N. Petrinić	36.000,00	2019
MZO RH i Ministarstvo znanosti i tehnologije Narodne Republike Kine	Experimental study of bridge structures considering the asymmetric effect under multiple support excitation	doc.dr.sc. Nina Čeh	Dalian University of Technology/ G. Jelenić; H. Qin; L. Žiković; B. Schira	60.000,00	2020-2022
Business entity	Anchors in composite concrete structures: experimental and numerical research	prof.dr.sc. Ivica Kožar	A. Bogdanić	166.666,66	2017-2021
MZO RH i Ministarstvo znanosti Republike Slovenije	Development of a finite element for shells on the concept of bound interpolation and its application to layered structures	izv.prof.dr.sc. Dragan Ribarić	Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za gradbeništvo in geodezijo	7.400,00	2020-2021
MZO RH i Ministarstvo znanosti Republike Slovenije	Development of a model for predicting the behavior of pedestrian children in the urban transport network	Građevinski i arhitektonski fakultet u Osijeku (dr.sc. I.Ištoka-Otković)	GF Rijeka: prof.dr.sc. Aleksandra Deluka-Tibljaš, doc. dr. sc. Sanja Šurdonja; - Fakulteta za gradbeništvo, prometno inženjerstvo i arhitekturu	Real costs	2020-2021

 
Projects of the University of Rijeka (2019-2022)

Project name	Leader	Founding (HRK)
Network architecture as a mechanism for describing brain dynamics, functionalities in physiology, rapid emigration, immigration challenges and new telecom platforms	Prof. dr. sc. Boris Podobnik	35.344,87
Modeling of structures as a system with identification of parameters and loads	Prof. dr. sc. Ivica Kožar	49.685,43
Computational and experimental procedures for determining the material parameters of the Cosserat continuum	Prof. dr. sc. Gordan Jelenić	46.913,47
Process research and assessment of landslide hazards in rock mass	Prof. dr. sc. Željko Arbanas	45.405,83
Hydrology of water resources and identification of flood and mudflow risks in karst areas	Prof. dr. sc. Nevenka Ožanić	39.663,38
Sustainable river basin management by implementing innovative methodologies, approaches and tools	Prof. dr. sc. Barbara Karleuša	38.916,82
Improving budget models for assessing the condition of building structures	Prof. dr. sc. Ivana Štimac Grandić	29.981,90
Estimates of the impact of climate change on the hydrological stability of protected lake systems in the karst area of ​​Croatia	Doc. dr. sc. Josip Rubinić	19.831,69
Analysis of the effects of measures to reduce energy costs and maintenance of public educational facilities through the enforcement system	Prof. dr. sc. Diana Car-Pušić	17.592,63
Vulnerability of the Kvarner coast in relation to climate change and sea level rise	Prof. emeritus Čedomir Benac	15.585,28
Laboratory research of static and cyclic behavior of soil during landslide start	Doc. dr. sc. Vedran Jagodnik	14.159,32
Transport infrastructure in the function of sustainable urban mobility	Prof. dr. sc. Aleksandra Deluka-Tibljaš	13.732,74
Concept for decision support in sustainable urban management	Doc.dr.sc. Ivan Marović	11.178,62
Materials, constructions and techniques of physical impact control in the historical architecture of Kvarner	Izv.prof.dr.sc. Nana Palinić	9.204,25
Estimating river discharges in highly stratified estuaries	doc. dr. sc. Nino Krvavica	20.000,00
Investigation of behavior of composite panel components with integrated steel core	doc.dr.sc. Paulina Krolo	20.000,00
Assessment of masonry arches and vaults	doc.dr.sc. Paulo Šćulac	20.000,00

 
Hydrodynamic modeling of the Plitvice Lakes system
Project leader: prof. dr. sc. Zvjezdana Bencetić Klaić, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Geotechnics   University of Varaždin.
Monitoring of morphological changes in the flow of the Korana (from the 3rd Korana waterfall to the Compositions)
Project leader: doc. dr. sc. Igor Ružić, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Rijeka.
Monitoring of key safety reliability and tower performance parameters crane - Monitor-KRAN
 
Project leader: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Osijek
Project partners: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Traffic Engineering and Architecture in Maribor, Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka (doc.dr.sc. Ivan Marović), Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb, 4D monitoring d.o.o.
 
The main expected scientific contribution and goal of this research is a defined and experimentally verified approach to monitoring key parameters to assess the reliability of the safety and performance of tower cranes. The purpose of monitoring is the early detection of potential causes of accidents related to tower cranes in their active period on the construction site. The detected causes will be expressed in the analysis as a function of the density of their occurrences over time, ie the service life of tower cranes and their active life.