Prof. Luciano Feo and Prof. Rosa Penna
University of Salerno, Italy
Title: Experimental Assessment and Micromechanical Interpretation of
MWCNT-Based Self-Sensing Cementitious Composites
Abstarct: The development of self-sensing cementitious composites offers a promising solution for the
continuous Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure. By incorporating
electrically conductive nanofillers, cement-based materials can act as intrinsic sensors,
overcoming some of the durability, compatibility, and spatial-coverage limitations associated
with externally installed monitoring devices. Among the available conductive fillers, multi-
walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are particularly attractive because they can form
electrically conductive networks whose configuration changes under mechanical loading.
However, the sensing reliability of these composites strongly depends on nanotube
concentration and dispersion within the cementitious matrix.
Bio:
Prof. Luciano Feo is Full Professor of Structural Mechanics at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, and Honorary Professor at “Ovidius” University of Constanța (Romania). He graduated with honours in Civil Engineering (1990, University of Salerno), obtained a PhD in Structural Engineering (1994, University of Naples “Federico II”), and a diploma in “Conception optimisée, intelligence des matériaux et des structures” from the École Polytechnique of Paris (1999). Author of more than 400 scientific publications, prof. Feo’s research covers mechanics of thin-walled beams, composite structural strengthening, innovative and sustainable materials, multiscale modelling, FRP structural joints, and nanobeam mechanics. He also works on structural bearings, biomechanics of osseointegrated implants, and nonlinear dynamics of granular systems. He is National Coordinator of the PRIN2020 project on nanotechnology for green construction materials and of the ReLUIS-DPC 2024–2026 section on innovative materials for infrastructure. He co-founded the NANO_MATES Interdepartmental Research Center at the University of Salerno. He has led numerous national research projects (PRIN, CNR, ReLUIS-DPC, FARB) and he is a member of major academies and associations, including ICoATH, EU Academy of Science, ICCE, IIFC, AIMETA, AIAS, EUROMECH, and ASSOCOMPOSITI. Prof. Feo has held key roles in drafting national and European technical guidelines on the use FRP composite materials for civil infrastructures and has been Director of the Official Testing Laboratory for Materials and Structures at the University of Salerno since 2015. Internationally, he coordinates scientific collaborations with Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. He is an active speaker and chair at global conferences and, since 2021, has been Expert Member of the Superior Council of Public Works (Italian Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility). He is also a member of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM). His awards include the AIAS National Award (2009), the Elsevier Most Cited Paper Award (2015–2019) and the World’s Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University, 2024). He also serves as editor for several leading international journals in composites materials and civil engineering.
Prof. Rosa Penna is an Associate Professor of Structural Mechanics at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno. She graduated with honours in Civil Engineering (2007) and Structural Engineering (2009), and earned her PhD in “Structural Engineering and Building and Urban Rehabilitation” in 2014. Her scientific activity includes more than eighty international publications, focusing on solid and structural mechanics through both theoretical-numerical and experimental approaches. Her main research interests involve structural strengthening with composite materials, innovative and sustainable materials and structures, numerical-experimental analysis of pultruded beams and joints, multiscale modelling of materials and structures, and the development of self-sensing materials for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). She has coordinated PRIN and FARB research projects and has participated as a team member in several nationally relevant initiatives, including ReLUIS-DPC projects. Professor Penna is active in international scientific associations and committees such as ICCE, AIMETA, and AIAS, and has collaborated with national and international research groups. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards, including Best Paper and Student Paper Awards, as well as her inclusion among the World’s Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University, 2024 and 2025). Since 2016, she has been teaching courses in Structural Mechanics and Innovative Structural Materials at the University of Salerno, also contributing to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programs. Her teaching experience includes Erasmus mobility, invited talks, and advanced seminars. She has been a member of the organizing committees of several national and international conferences and is actively involved in the institutional activities of the Department of Civil Engineering (DICIV). Internationally, she collaborates with universities in the USA, China, and Hong Kong on composite mechanics, sustainable structures, and lattice modelling.