BrainMap

Mr. Stefan Florin Balan

PhD. , Engineer, Senior researcher I

Senior researcher grade I - INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA

Researcher | Scientific reviewer

Curriculum Vitae (27/08/2021)

Expertise & keywords

Towards more Earthquake-resilient Urban Societies through a Multi-sensor-based Information System enabling Earthquake Forecasting, Early Warning and Rapid Response Actions Call name:
2019 - 2022

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: NORSAR

Project partners: NORSAR (); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA ()

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA ()

Project website: http://http/: Turnkey.com

Abstract:

This project will address three topics:

• Operational Earthquake Forecasting (OEF) by collecting all available earthquake-hazard related information for the regions of interest and by monitoring the regions with appropriate instrumentation.

• Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) by distributing reliable information that an earthquake is happening as fast and efficiently as possible to all stakeholders.

• Rapid Response to Earthquakes (RRE) by informing relevant stakeholders about the most probable damage scenarios in near real-time and by estimating direct and indirect losses (main shock and aftershocks).

TURNkey aims to contribute to the mitigation of earthquake risks through strong European and global scientific collaborations. To reach the objectives the project will bring together a strong multi-disciplinary team of experts (geophysicists/seismologists, geologists, engineers, disaster risk managers and sociologists) from 21 partner institutions covering 10 European countries. The focus of TURNkey is to close the gap between the theoretical systems and their practical application in Europe and to assist stakeholders in different risk mitigation actions before, during, and after a damaging earthquake.

Bridging the gap between seismology and earthquake engineering: from the seismicity of Romania towards a refined implementation of Seismic Action EN1998-1 in earthquake resistant design of buildings Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA-2011 call, Type 2
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2011-3.2-0788 2012 - 2016

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DE CONSTRUCTII BUCURESTI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE IN CONSTRUCTII, URBANISM SI DEZVOLTARE TERITORIALA DURABILA "URBAN-INCERC" (RO); AEDIFICIA CARPATI S.A. (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA (RO)

Project website: http://bigsees.infp.ro

Abstract:

Earthquakes are a serious threat for Romania. Seismic codes are important means for strengthening the resilience of our society against the negative consequences of major earthquakes and, therefore, should become central nodes of disaster mitigation.

The concept of BIGSEES project is „Innovation through standardization”, as a recommendation for closing the gap between R&D activities and standardization work. In the EU strategy, standardization is as a key instrument for improvement in order to foster innovation (Brussels, COM(2008)133 final-Towards an increased contribution from standardization to innovation to Europe). There are some chapters in European Code (EC-8) which are not applicable at all to deep Vrancea earthquake (like effective design values for acceleration, velocities and displacements). Standardization has a dimension of public interest, in particular whenever issues of safety to crustal, strong and deep Vrancea earthquakes.

According to the provisions of EN 1998-1 Eurocode 8 (EC 8), the National Standard implementing EC 8 will comprise the full text of the Eurocode (including any annexes), as published by CEN, which may be preceded by a National title page and National foreword, and may be followed by a National Annex. The National Annex may only contain information on those parameters which are left open in the Eurocode 8 for national choice, known as Nationally Determined Parameters, to be used for the design of buildings and civil engineering works to be constructed in the country concerned. Now, civil engineers and seismologists are joining their efforts to better calibrate the Nationally Determined Parameters.

Romania, as a full EU member, has to calibrate the Nationally Determined Parameters to be included in the National Annex. A first attempt to develop a National Annex was performed in 2008 by smoothing the differences between the philosophy and provisions of EN 1998-1 and the seismic design practice and provisions of P100-1 Romanian Code for Seismic Design of Buildings. Nevertheless, the National Annex is not fully in line with the philosophy of EC 8. The seismic action, as it is defined in EC 8, requires more refined information on local ground conditions of the construction site. The proposed Project envisages to better calibrate the Nationally Determined Parameters for a refined definition of seismic action in line with the provisions of EC 8. The results of the Project will enable the full and reliable definition, in the Romanian National Annex, of the seismic action in line with the requirements of EN 1998-1.

Another major achievement of the BIGSEES Project will be to transform the results of this methodological research on earthquake risk reduction into effective application, that is „New Romanian Seismic Action”, as part of the European Code EC-8 for a refined implementation, in Romanian design practice.

The expected results of the BIGSEES project can play an important role in reducing the negative impact of catastrophic events on densely populated areas and, particularly, in mitigating the damage to strategic structures and lifelines.

Spaceborne Multiple Aperture Interferometry and Sequential Patterns Extraction Techniques for Accurate Directional Ground and Infrastructure Stability Measurements Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA-2011 call, Type 2
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2011-3.2-1448 2012 - 2016

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: TERRASIGNA SRL

Project partners: TERRASIGNA SRL (RO); REGIA AUTONOMĂ TEHNOLOGII PENTRU ENERGIA NUCLEARĂ - RATEN PITEŞTI SUCURSALA CENTRUL DE INGINERIE TEHNOLOGICĂ OBIECTIVE NUCLEARE BUCUREŞTI MĂGURELE CITON (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA (RO); INSTITUTUL DE STIINTE SPATIALE-FILIALA INFLPR (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA (RO)

Project website: http://dgisar.terrasigna.com/

Abstract:

The basic concept of the DGI-SAR project is to develop operational specialized services focused on the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program for natural risk management and in particular for landslides and seismic phenomena in Romania. The project is based on Terrafirma project experience, part of European Space Agency's (ESA) GMES Service Element Programme and on National level related project. The project intends to develop innovative monitoring services for critical infrastructure stability, landslides activity and seismic movements, by applying not only the latest technologies and knowledge in the field, such as spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), but also original approaches and research that will enhance the present techniques. The services to be developed are the following: Critical Infrastructure Monitoring Service (CIMS); Slope Instability Monitoring Service (SIMS); Seismic Movement Monitoring Service (SMMS). The selected test zones for these services are Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and area (Saligny versant) and Bucharest city. The main objectives of the project are to: develop accurate and competitive monitoring services in support of GMES Downstream Services in Romania that will be used especially for NPP Cernavoda and Bucharest, but with applications to other similar sites (urban areas, other infrastructure elements, etc.); perform

specific applied research, in order to find new or better solutions to the not yet fully-solved scientific problems underlying the proposed technology. An interdisciplinary approach is proposed, where SAR data and processing techniques will be integrated into the current NPP monitoring system and into the seismological knowledge with the purpose of improving the input to existing structural stability and seismic models and leading to their refinement.

Black Sea Earthquake Safety Net(work) Call name:
2012 - 2014

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA (); International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (); Geophysical Institute of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (); Geology and Seismology Institute of Moldavian Academy of Sciences ()

Affiliation:

Project website: http://esnet.infp.ro

Abstract:

The project ’’Black Sea Earthquake Safety Net(work) – ESNET’’ is structured with the objective contributing to the prevention of natural disasters generated by earthquakes in Black Sea Basin, by developing a joint monitoring and intervention concept. The Project is funded by EU under the cross border partnership of IPA Leader International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation – IBC from Turkey, ENPI Leader National Institute of Research and Development for Earth Physics – NIEP, Geophysical Institute of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences BAS and Geology and Seismology Institute of Moldavian Academy of Sciences – IGS.

Physical-seismological integrated approaches for risk-prone zones considering results from seismic wave's propagation in nonlinear complex media Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - TE-2011 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2011-3-0072 2011 - 2014

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Fizica Pamantului

Project partners: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Fizica Pamantului (RO)

Affiliation: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Fizica Pamantului (RO)

Project website: http://infp.infp.ro/projects/te2011/Index.html

Abstract:

The novelty and complexity of this project consists in the nonlinear character of physical laws governing the propagation processes of seismic waves. These are new aspects in the actual development of seismology, on national and international level.This is due to the character of novelty of disciplines concerning the physical properties of rocks and soils in comparison to the traditional level of theoretical seismology. Nevertheless it is necessary a high level of calculus, with a large number of geotechnical parameters, and mathematical equations specific to wave propagation.Nonlinearity in seismology is a known and accepted phenomenon (Richter,1934) but for the moment not sufficient quantitative appreciations were made (Apostol,Phys.Lett.A318,2003). An efficient tool for studying the quantitative characteristics of the nonlinear behavior of soils is the study of spectral amplification factors-SAF.

In this project we try a presentation of the quantitative aspect of the phenomena and a translation of it in mathematical language.

Through the objectives the proposed project respond meanwhile the demands for high turnout and multidisciplinary in the domain of fundamental and applicative researches, which aims the nonlinear seismology, evaluate the seismic hazard, wave propagation in complex media, pursuing scientific and social relevance.

These research directions are of great importance in seismology, because they have a considerable theoretical and applicative potential.

• “Site-effect analyses for the earthquake-endangered metropolis Bucharest, Romania”; Call name:
PDD(CP)-(ESP.EAP.SFP 981882 2005 - 2007

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: University of Karlsruhe

Project partners: University of Karlsruhe (); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA ()

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA PAMANTULUI - INCDFP RA ()

Project website:

Abstract:

The main results can be summarized as:

• 10 new boreholes including complete lithological profiles and about 250 recovered core samples for geotechnical analysis

• 10 downhole measurements for vp and vs profiles

• 400 geotechnical analyses of samples from 6 Quaternary layers

• Spectral amplification curves for the 10 sites

• Improved vs30 map

• Investigation of seismological measurements across the city

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator
List of research grants as partner team leader
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects