CASCONE Ernesto

CURRENT POSITION
Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, Department of Engineering, University of Messina (Italy) since

CURRENT TASKS
Vice-Head of the Engineering Department since 2018
Corrisponding Member for the Italian Geotechnical Association (AGI) in the ISSMGE TC203 (technical committee for Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering and Associated Problems) since 2015.

EDUCATION
2017. National Scientific Qualification (ASN) for the role of Professor of Geotechnical Engineering.
06/11/2015 – 31/03/2021. Associate Professor of Geotechnical Engineering.
2013. National Scientific Qualification (ASN) for the role of Associate Professor of Geotechnical Engineering.
2005-2014. Researcher of Geotechnical Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Messina.
2004–2005. Research fellowship at the University of Messina, Department of
Civil Engineering, on "Constitutive modelling of soils under cyclic and dynamic loading conditions and implementation in FEM codes".
2000–2004. Research fellowship at the University of Messina, Department of Civil
Engineering on "Stability of natural and manmade slopes in seismic conditions".
1996. Ph.D in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Catania, Italy.
1994. Research fellow at the University of Athens, Greece. Topic: "Prenormative research
in support of Eurocode 8".
1991. Graduation in Civil Engineering, University of Catania, Italy.

TEACHING ACTIVITY
2005-23. Courses of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (undergraduate level) and Slope stability (postgraduate level).
2005-10, 2018-2023 Course of Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (postgraduate level).

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Soil dynamics
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Seismic behaviour of retaining walls
Seismic behaviour of slopes, dams and embankments
Seismic behaviour of shallow foundations
Site response analysis
Liquefaction
Soil improvement
The research activity led to more than 100 publications on peer reviewed journals, in the proceedings of Italian and international conferences and in research reports.

SUPERVISION AND PARTECIPATION IN RESEARCH PROJECTS
Research projects supervision
Principal Investigator of the Research Unit of the University of Messina in the National projects PRIN2022 “Seismic failure and post-failure response of slopes”
PRIN2017 “Risk Assessment of Earth Dams and River Embankments to Earthquakes and Floods”

Principal Investigator of the Research Unit of the University of Messina in the ReLUIS (Rete Laboratori Universitari di Ingegneria Sismica) projects:
2021-2024. Line WP16 - Contributi normativi - Geotecnica, Task 16.3: Soil-foundation-structure interaction, Sub-task 16.3.2: Dissipative capacity of the soil-foundation interface.
2021-2024. Line WP16 - Contributi normativi - Geotecnica, Task 16.2: Slope stability.
2019-2021. Line WP16 - Contributi normativi - Geotecnica, Task 16.3: Soil-foundation-structure interaction, Sub-task 16.3.2: Dissipative capacity of the soil-foundation interface.
2019-2021. Line WP16 - Contributi normativi - Geotecnica, Task 16.2: Slope stability.
2017-2018. Line WP2 Slope stability.
2014-2018. Line MT1 Site effects.
2010-2013. Line MT3 Retaining structures.
2006-2008. Line 3 Slope stability.

Partecipation to European research projects
2010-2011. Experimental Verification of Shallow Foundation Performance under Earthquake–Induced Liquefaction. FP7 Project Seismic Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies (SERIES) Project (Grant Agreement No. 227887 with the European Commission). Transnational Access (TA) Use Agreement del 03/02/2010 tra Foundation Engineering Laboratory della National Technical University of Athens e Cambridge University Technical Services.

Partecipation to national research projects funded by EU
MIUR - PON RICERCA E COMPETITIVITÀ 2007-2013 - Avviso del 18.05.2011 - Asse I - Obiettivo Operativo 4.1.1.4, Azione: Rafforzamento Strutturale, Progetto PON A03_00422 “CERISI” - Centro di Eccellenza Ricerca e Innovazione Strutture e Infrastrutture di grandi dimensioni.

Partecipation to national research projects funded by the Ministery of University and Research (MUR)
2007. Comportamento dinamico di strutture in campo lineare e non lineare: dalla modellazione alla sperimentazione. Coord. scientifico: prof. F. Vestroni – Università di Roma La Sapienza.
2005. Modellazione e sperimentazione del comportamento dinamico di strutture flessibili. Coord. scientifico: prof. F. Vestroni – Università di Roma La Sapienza.
2003. Comportamento dinamico delle strutture: analisi, sperimentazione e controllo. Coord. scientifico: prof. F. Vestroni – Università di Roma La Sapienza.
2002. Interazione terreno – lifelines durante eventi sismici. Coord. scientifico: prof. R. Nova – Politecnico di Milano.
2001. Analisi dinamica e sicurezza di strutture soggette ad azioni aleatorie. Coord. scientifico: prof. F. Vestroni – Università di Roma La Sapienza.
2000. Progetto di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale Analisi geotecniche e sismiche per l’area dello stretto di Messina. Coord. scientifico: prof. R. Nova – Politecnico di Milano.
1999. Risposta dinamica di strutture flessibili sotto l’azione di forze naturali e artificiali. Coord. scientifico: prof. F. Vestroni – Università di Roma La Sapienza.
1996. Protezione del suolo e del sottosuolo: contributi dell'Ingegneria Geotecnica. Coord. scientifico: prof. E. Pasqualini - Università Politecnica delle Marche.
1993. Verifica di opere geotecniche in condizioni dinamiche. Coord. scientifico: prof. R. Nova - Politecnico di Milano.

Partecipation to national research projects funded by the Nayional Research Council (CNR)
2000-2002. Scenari dettagliati e provvedimenti finalizzati alla prevenzione sismica nell’area urbana di Catania. Coord. Scientifico: prof. M. Maugeri – Università di Catania.
1996-1998. The Catania project – Earthquake damage scenarios for a high risk area in the Mediterranean. Coord. Scientifico: prof. E. Faccioli - Politecnico di Milano.

Partecipation to national research projects funded by Regione Siciliana
2020. PO-FESR 2014/2020 - Azione 1.1.5. - Sostegno all’avanzamento tecnologico delle imprese attraverso il finanziamento di linee pilota e azioni di validazione precoce dei prodotti e di dimostrazioni su larga scala. Progetto finanziato: Sistema multisensoriale a basso costo finalizzato alla diagnosi per la tutela e conservazione del patrimonio storico/culturale (Ammesso al finanziamento).