Modern trends in the use of special metals for the improvement of historical and monumental structures

The basic features of advanced metal materials and metal-based technologies, including innovative strategies for seismic protection based on the dissipation of seismic input energy, are shown and discussed in this paper, with particular emphasis on their application in the field of structural rehabilitation. The use of very advanced solutions relying on shape memory alloys, presently under experimentation in the world, is addressed in the paper as well. In the context, some outstanding cases of structural rehabilitation of historical and monumental works are presented and discussed. The aim is to illustrate the potential of these new materials and technologies in the restoration and preservation of cultural heritage.