Lecture by Professor Mr. Konstantinos Spyrakos of the National Technical University of Athens at Neapolis University

The Department of Civil Engineering of Neapolis University in Cyprus, in cooperation with the Paphos Regional Committee of the Technical Chamber of Cyprus, successfully organized a lecture on Wednesday 19 June 2019 on the subject:

“MASONRY STRUCTURES: Assessment and Retrofitting for Seismic Loads”

The main speaker was the distinguished academic, Professor of Earthquake Engineering and Director of the Earthquake Engineering Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens, Mr. Konstantinos Spyrakos.

The open to the public lecture took place at the Amphitheater of the University, expressing the framework of cooperation between the two bodies for the co-organization of a series of events related to Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industry in general. The event was attended by a large number of professional Architects, Civil Engineers and Contractors who were briefed on very interesting theoretical and practical aspects of masonry structures that are not even fully covered by regulations and are not taught extensively in Civil Engineering studies.

Specifically, Professor Spyrakos referred to:

• The most important vulnerabilities of masonry structures through examples of damages caused by recent earthquakes (Lesvos, Kos, Lefkada).
• The assessment and intervention methodology in masonry structures based on the philosophy of modern regulations (KADET, EC8-3, revised plan for EC8-3).
• The process of selecting the form and extent of intervention in listed buildings and monuments.
• The most important traditional and innovative methods of intervention both in non-listed buildings and monuments.
• Representative examples of assessment and intervention both in buildings and in “special structures”, such as the study of the canopy of the Holy Sepulcher and the “Refugee Residencies” in Athens.

The event co-ordinator was Dr. John Bellos, Associate Professor of Structural Design, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering of the Neapolis University and member of the Paphos Regional Committee of the Technical Chamber of Cyprus.