XP-RESILIENCE · Project

Metamaterial Shields to Protect Petrochemical Plants from Earthquakes and Floods

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When an earthquake or flood hits a chemical plant, the consequences can be catastrophic — think Fukushima. This project trained a new generation of engineers to model exactly what happens to industrial facilities under extreme loads, and then designed special protective barriers made from engineered "metamaterials" — structures arranged in clever patterns that absorb and redirect shock waves, almost like invisibility cloaks for vibrations. The goal is to stop natural disasters from turning into chemical disasters, protecting both communities and the environment around industrial sites.

By the numbers

10%

Share of industrial accidents involving hazardous substances triggered by natural hazards

£5bn

Cost of UK 2015 winter floods, with thousands of families and businesses facing financial problems

Consortium partners across Europe

Countries represented in the consortium

Industry partners in the consortium

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods can trigger catastrophic chemical accidents at industrial plants — so-called NaTech events. Up to 10% of industrial accidents involving hazardous substances are triggered by natural hazards, and existing protective measures for chemical facilities are often inadequate. Plant operators face growing regulatory pressure under the Seveso II Directive while lacking advanced tools to model and mitigate these compound risks.

The solution

What was built

The project produced 35 deliverables focused on advanced computational models for simulating extreme loads on petrochemical plants, and explored metamaterial-based isolator designs that could shield industrial facilities from earthquake and blast effects. The primary tangible outputs are simulation tools, modelling methodologies, and trained researchers with cross-sector expertise.

Audience

Who needs this

Petrochemical and chemical plant operators in seismic or flood-prone zonesEngineering consultancies designing industrial facility protection systemsInsurance companies modelling NaTech catastrophe risk for industrial clientsNational civil protection agencies responsible for industrial safety zonesMetamaterial manufacturers looking for new structural protection applications

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Petrochemical & Chemical Processing

enterprise

Target: Operators of Seveso-classified chemical plants

If you are a petrochemical plant operator dealing with natural-hazard risk to your facilities — this project developed advanced computational models and metamaterial-based isolation layouts designed to protect industrial installations from earthquakes, floods, and blast events. With up to 10% of industrial accidents involving hazardous substances triggered by natural disasters, these protective solutions directly address your Seveso II Directive compliance obligations.

Insurance & Risk Assessment

enterprise

Target: Industrial property insurers and catastrophe modelling firms

If you are an insurer covering industrial facilities exposed to natural hazards — this project produced validated simulation models for extreme-load analysis of complex engineering systems. The UK's 2015 winter floods alone topped £5bn in damages. These models can improve your catastrophe risk assessment for NaTech scenarios where natural events trigger chemical releases.

Civil Engineering & Structural Protection

mid-size

Target: Engineering consultancies specialising in industrial facility design

If you are an engineering firm designing or retrofitting industrial plants in seismic or flood-prone zones — this project developed metamaterial-based isolator concepts that can be integrated into facility design to reduce vulnerability to extreme natural loads. The consortium included 7 industry partners across 10 countries, providing cross-sector validation of the modelling approaches.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these protective solutions at our facility?

The project focused on computational modelling and metamaterial design concepts rather than off-the-shelf products. Based on available project data, no specific cost figures for commercial implementation are provided. Costs would depend on facility size, hazard profile, and the specific metamaterial configuration required.

Can these solutions work at full industrial scale?

The project developed advanced simulation models for complex engineering systems, but it was structured as a training network (MSCA-ITN) for early-stage researchers. Based on available project data, the metamaterial-based shields and isolators remain at the research and modelling stage, not yet validated at full industrial scale.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can we license it?

The project was coordinated by the University of Trento with 15 partners across 10 countries. IP rights would be governed by the consortium agreement. Interested companies should contact the coordinator to discuss licensing of specific simulation models or metamaterial designs.

Does this help with Seveso Directive compliance?

Yes — the project was explicitly designed to support the Seveso II Directive 2012/18/EU, which regulates control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances. The NaTech risk modelling and protective solutions directly address the directive's requirements for preventing natural-hazard-triggered chemical accidents.

What stage of development are the metamaterial shields at?

Based on available project data, the 35 deliverables focused on computational modelling, simulation, and workshop proceedings rather than physical prototypes or pilot installations. The metamaterial-based isolator concepts are at an early research stage with validated computational models.

Can these models integrate with our existing risk management systems?

The project produced computational models for extreme-load analysis that could feed into existing risk assessment workflows. However, based on available project data, no specific integration tools or APIs were developed for commercial risk management platforms.

Consortium

Who built it

The XP-RESILIENCE consortium brings together 15 partners from 10 European countries, split almost evenly between 8 universities and 7 industry partners (47% industry ratio), including 3 SMEs. This is a strong mix for a training network, showing genuine industry involvement in the research. The geographic spread — from Italy and France to Poland and Greece — covers key earthquake-prone and flood-risk regions, which adds credibility to the hazard modelling work. The coordinator, University of Trento, is based in a seismically active region of Italy, giving the project real-world relevance. However, the MSCA-ITN funding structure means the consortium was optimised for researcher training rather than product commercialisation.

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTOCoordinator · IT
INGENIEURGESELLSCHAFT DR ING FISCHBACH MBHpartner · DE
POLITECHNIKA SLASKAparticipant · PL
VCE VIENNA CONSULTING ENGINEERS ZT GMBHparticipant · AT
SMARTEC SApartner · CH
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI ROMA TREparticipant · IT
INSTITUT NATIONAL DES SCIENCES APPLIQUEES DE RENNESparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DEL SANNIOparticipant · IT
PANEPISTIMIO PATRONparticipant · EL
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI
UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDEpartner · UK

How to reach the team

University of Trento, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering — reachable through their faculty directory or the project website.

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how metamaterial-based protection or NaTech risk modelling from this project could apply to your industrial facilities? SciTransfer can connect you with the research team and assess fit for your specific hazard scenario.

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