CRIACIV (Centro di Ricerca Interuniversitario di Aerodinamica delle Costruzioni e Ingegneria del Vento – Inter-University Research Centre on Building Aerodynamics and Wind Engineering) was established in 1991 between the two founding universities (University of Firenze and “Sapienza” University of Roma) and it was then extended to Perugia and Trieste in 1996. Finally, it has reached the present configuration with the entry of University IUAV of Venezia and University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara in 2004 and Padova. The “Mediterranea” University of Reggio Calabria has been a member from 2012 to 2020 and has recently been replaced by University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”in 2020.

CRIACIV’s declared mission is to promote and develop researches and studies in building and environmental aerodynamics and to deliver high-qualified consulting to private and public enterprises/authorities which may need advices in planning, design and decision process in the concerned field.

To accomplish its mission goals, CRIACIV operates on following lines:

• Basic and applied research
• Consulting and technical development
• Research training at doctoral and post-doctoral levels
• Continuing professional development and training
• Scientific dissemination through Conferences, seminars, workshops (also at International level).

CRIACIV is a leading Centre in the Italian public funded research, having initiated and coordinated the largest projects dealing with Wind Engineering in the last 15 years. It has also led some EU proposals (research projects, research and training networks, cooperation actions within the COST programs) funded by the European Commission.

Industrial partners of CRIACIV are spread within a wide range: City/Regional Authorities, Construction Companies, Engineer Consulting Societies, Public Services Agencies (energy production, environmental).

CRIACIV staff includes as many as 30 researchers (Professors, Assistant Professors, Research Engineers, Research Associates) and several members among Post-Graduated Engineers, Ph.D. Students, Undergraduate Students. It is run by a Managing Board of 13 members, elected within the wider Scientific Committee of the Centre, and it is managed by a Director (elected by the Scientific Committee), a Vice-Director and a Scientific Secretary. The Scientific and Administration headquarters are hosted by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Firenze.

CRIACIV runs a large scale Wind Engineering Laboratory (equipped, amongst other tools, with a BLWT) which is located in the premises of Prato campus of the University of Firenze; this was the first laboratory of this kind operating in Italy in the field of “Building and Environmental Aerodynamics”.

THE BOUNDARY LAYER WIND TUNNEL

Wind actions represent a fundamental aspect when dealing with the design of some structural typologies (high-rise buildings, long-span bridges, slender structures) as well as in the study of some environmental phenomena (dispersion of pollutant in the atmosphere).

The use of tests on scaled models is often a necessary step in the evaluation of some needed quantities. Tests have to beperformed in Boundary Layer Wind Tunnels (BLWT), where the atmospheric circulation is reproduced at a given scale.

BLWTs differ from aeronautic ones for their length from the inlet to the test section, this allowing to correctly reproduce the roughness of the earth surface (and then both mean flow and turbulence characteristics) by means of some particular devices inserted along the wind tunnel.

In CRIACIV’s BLWT, located in Prato, wind speeds as high as 30 m/s can be reached, by using a power of about 160 kW. Wind speed is remotely controlled both varying the fan blades pitch angle and by changing the rotating speed of the motor.

CRIACIV ORGANISATION

CRIACIV is governed by:

– A Scientific Board (Consiglio Scientifico – CS), composed by the members of the Universities declared participating to the Centre, in charge for the definition of the scientific lines to be pursued by the Centre itself; the CS (under its own unanimous deliberation) can be joined by experts, though owning to external (respect to CRIACIV) Universities, considered to have an outstanding expertise and of the highest repute in the field;

–   a Management Board (Comitato di Gestione – CdG), in which , according to the actual Regulation, are appointed the delegates of all the Universities enrolled in the Centre, and that provides for the current administrative deeds;

–   a Director, elected with a four-years mandate by the Scientific Board that, in turns, nominates a Vice-Director and a Scientific Secretary.

Contextually with the revision of the Statute, updated to the entry of the Universities of “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti/Pescara and IUAV of Venice in 2004, was finally established the role of Honorary President, for which was elected through unanimous vote Prof. Giuliano Augusti, co-founder of CRIACIV and its first Director until 1998.

For the Direction of the Centre there have come and gone several Directors, which are (in chronological order):

• Giuliano Augusti (1992 – 1998)
• Paolo Spinelli (1998 – 2004)
• Claudio Borri (2004 – 2012)
• Paolo Spinelli (2012 – 2013)
• Gianni Bartoli (2013 – 2021)
• Claudio Mannini (2021 – present)

In this very moment, the Director is assisted by the Vice-Director, Prof. Vittorio Gusella (University of Perugia), and by the Secretary Prof. Enzo Marino (University of Florence).