Dr Pier Giovanni Benzo (he/him)
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Full contact details
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
E201
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
- Profile
-
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering. I obtained my Master’s degree in Building Engineering and Architecture from the University of Padua (Italy), where my thesis focused on the analysis of masonry buildings under seismic loading. I then completed my PhD at the University of Minho, developing an innovative sandwich panel system for the rehabilitation of existing building floors.
My research focuses on cellular materials for the design of lightweight, high-performance engineering structures. In particular, I integrate low-density polymeric foams with steel and fibre-reinforced polymers to develop sandwich structures with enhanced specific strength and stiffness. By combining advanced manufacturing techniques with structural optimisation algorithms, I aim to create modular, material-efficient components that contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of the built environment.
- Research interests
-
Sandwich Structures; Lightweight Steel; Polymeric Foams; Genetic Algorithms
- Publications
-
Journal articles
- Development of a foam-filled steel web sandwich panel for the rehabilitation of timber floors. Journal of Building Engineering, 86, 108936-108936.
- Structural response of steel sandwich panels with PUR foam core subjected to edgewise compression: Experimental, numerical, and analytical considerations. Construction and Building Materials, 409, 134009-134009.
- Optimization of steel web core sandwich panel with genetic algorithm. Engineering Structures, 253, 113805-113805.
- The effect of surface treatment and environmental actions on the adhesive connection between GFRP laminate surface and fresh FRC. Construction and Building Materials, 258, 119594-119594.
Book chapters
- Multi-objective Design Optimization of Sandwich Panel, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (pp. 2347-2354). Springer International Publishing
- A Preliminary Design of a New Lightweight Floor System, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (pp. 2355-2364). Springer International Publishing
Conference proceedings
- Multi-objective optimization assisting design of sandwich panels. Apfis 2019 Proceedings 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Frp in Structures
Preprints
- Development of a foam-filled steel web sandwich panel for the rehabilitation of timber floors. Journal of Building Engineering, 86, 108936-108936.