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Staff profile

Overview

Dr Bartolomeo Panto'

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering

Affiliations
AffiliationRoom numberTelephone
Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering234+44 (0)191 334 4950

Biography

Bartolomeo Pantò is an Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering in the Department of Engineering. He graduated in 2003 from the University of Catania (Italy), where he completed his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering in 2007. His research in that period led to the development of a new simplified method, the Discrete Macro-Element Method (DMEM), to analyse unreinforced and confined masonry structures. After his Ph.D., Bartolomeo worked for seven years as a Structural Engineer for the University of Catania within a selected team devoted to reducing the seismic risk of the Ateneo's buildings. In 2015, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), University of Minho (Portugal), and in 2016, he was a Research Fellow at the Department of Engineering of RomaTre University (Rome). From 2019 to 2021, Bartolomeo led the RAMBEA project (funded by the European Commission within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) at Imperial College London to develop novel computational strategies for accurate and efficient simulations of historical masonry arch bridges subject to extreme environmental actions. 

Bartolomeo has joined the Sustainable Infrastructure research group at Durham University in 2021. His area of interest comprises assessing and retrofitting existing structures, including historical and monumental masonry constructions and reinforced concrete infill frames, subjected to extreme environmental actions, such as earthquakes and floods. 

Research

Bartolomeo's research activity aims to develop and apply nonlinear models to assess the resilience structures, including historical and monumental constructions, against extreme actions such as earthquakes and floods. He developed many numerical models based on the discrete-element approach, which are currently employed for academic research and engineering applications to assess and retrofit unreinforced and confined masonry structures. Moreover, he developed new nonlinear beam Finite Elements based on smart shape functions for nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete frame structures; advanced models for traditional and innovative infill frames subjected to lateral loads; models for the nonlinear response of beam-to-column nonductile joints. Recently, his research activities focused on (i) developing new sustainable fiber-reinforced retrofitting systems for seismic prevention of cultural heritage assets; (ii) assessing masonry arch bridges subjected to traffic loads, earthquakes and flood events.

Teaching

Bartolomeo currently leads the module Structural Design 4 and teaches Earthquake Engineering within the module Structures 4. Both modules are delivered to undergraduate (MEng) and Civil Engineering MSc students.

Research groups

Research interests

  • Resilience of structures and infrastructures under extreme loads
  • Fiber-reinforced composite systems (FRP - FRCM)
  • Conservation of cultural heritage assets
  • Seismic assessment of existing structures
  • Nonlinear finite elements
  • Discrete models

Publications

Conference Paper

Journal Article