This Doctoral Section has at the following objectives:
1) training of specialized professional figures and new researchers to be employed into European, national and local public and private Institutions;
2) promotion of the research in University structures through the contribution of innovative and stimulating professional figures;
3) support the teaching in the Italian University through new researchers.

The Section relates to the following thematic areas and research topics and subsectors:

1)  Hydraulics

1.1 Theoretical and experimental modelling of complex fluids and interaction with the environment
1.1.1    Sloshing of a free surface liquid in a moving container
1.1.2    Two-phase transient pipe-flow
1.1.3    Local scour downstream of hydraulic structures
1.1.4    Gravity currents and their interaction with the environment

2)  Water Management
  
2.1 Hydrology and Water Resources
2.1.1    Flow and transport of solutes in heterogeneous porous media
2.1.2    Inference of transmissivity through pumping test
2.1.3    Solute transport in the combined vadose zone-groundwater system
2.1.4    Effective properties in heterogeneous porous media
2.1.5    Residence time and streamflow generation in small catchments
2.1.6    Rainfall-runoff modelling
2.1.7    Analysis of the statistical properties of rainfall fields
2.1.8    Analysis of the statistical properties of the peak flow annual maxima
2.1.9    Flood plain modelling

2.2 Coastal Protection and Design of Maritime Structures
2.2.1   Development of a new solver of the Boussinesq Type Equations for the nearshore hydrodynamics
2.2.2   Numerical and experimental modelling of wave energy converters
2.2.3   Assessment of wave and wind energy resources in the Mediterranean Sea using numerical modelling
2.2.4   Statistical analysis of extreme wave events
2.2.5   Numerical modelling of generation, propagation and interaction with coasts and maritime structures of tsunamis
2.2.6   Laboratory techniques for the generation of tsunamis
2.2.7.  Numerical modelling of short and long waves and currents in harbours
2.2.8.  Innovative design of marinas and caisson breakwaters
2.2.9.  Artificial surf reefs

3) Roads, Railways and Airports

3.1 Advanced geometric design of roads and motorways
3.1.1    Systemic check of the road project’s property under the profile of the road safety
3.1.2    Validation of the systemic operability of the road referring to the existing infrastructures
3.1.3    Analysis of driver behaviour
3.1.4    Analysis of systemic operability of road Italian networks
3.1.5    Geometric design consistency and operational effects

3.2 New materials and technologies for development and management of transport infrastructures
3.2.1    Optimization of technical strategies for road networks rehabilitation
3.2.2    Rehabilitation of existing roads for increasing road safety
3.2.3    Pavement damage diagnosis using GPR
3.2.4    Standardization of high performance techniques for pavement damage diagnostic using Ground Penetrating Radar
3.2.5    Road pavement monitoring using GPR
3.2.6    Recycling of construction and demolition wastes – Analysis of the standards for applications in road and railway constructions
3.2.7    Waste recycling for roads and railways construction

 4) Transportation

4.1 Urban transportation network
4.1.1    Instruments for the evaluation and monitoring of strategic actions in large degraded urban areas
4.1.2    Innovative vehicles; analysis and validation of a new dualmode trolleybus
4.1.3    Development and experiment of cold start and hot soak emission modelling during the parking process

4.2 Systems and technologies for traffic control and regulation
4.2.1    Interaction between signal settings and traffic flow patterns on road networks
4.2.2    Development of a mobility model on ANAS traffic network to evaluate traffic volumes parameters, optimal location of traffic count sections, impact of a single link change on            the global network
4.2.3    Validation of  traffic monitoring systems

5) Structures

5.1 Mechanics of Materials and Structures
5.1.1    Masonry Mechanics
5.1.2    Nonlinear analysis of Trusses, Tensegrities and Thin Walled Beams
5.1.3    Dynamics and identification of uncertain structures
5.1.4    Durability and performance decay of structural elements
5.1.5    Response analysis and aerodynamics of very long span suspension bridges

5.2 Structural Engineering.
5.2.1    Safety evaluation for masonry structures
5.2.2    Seismic risk assessment of industrial plants
5.2.3    Analytical and experimental studies of the behavior of structures and structural elements
5.2.4    Post-earthquake evaluation of RC bridges.
5.2.5    Evaluation, rehabilitation, and repair of existing structures.
5.2.6    Performance-based earthquake engineering.
5.2.7    Probabilistic risk assessment of structures and Life-lines
5.2.8    Passive and semi-active risk reduction methods
5.2.9    Assessment and rehabilitation of historic structures
5.2.10  Reinforcement of masonry and concrete structures with composites
5.2.11  Low impact technologies

6) Geotechnics

6.1 Slope stability and tunnelling in rock masses
6.1.1    Prediction of lining loads and displacements around bored tunnels;
6.1.2    Application of passive reinforcements in rock foundations;
6.1.3    Slope stability problems in the preservation of ancient towns