Observations from Degenkolb Engineers
We looked at a group of 3 and 4 story apartment buildings in L'Aquila, 2 of which collapsed at the first floor. There were 6 or 7 of the same construction, vintage and plan but only the 2 reached the point of collapse. See photos below of this dramatic failure. (Photos by Holly Razzano)
Building damage
15,000 buildings severely damaged or collapsed as of 8 am PDT 4/7/09. About 2/3 thirds of the buildings in L’Aquila were either damaged or destroyed. Mostly unreinforced masonry composed of rubble, stone, brick, and hollow clay tile masonry units suffered the worst damage. Several more modern, nonductile concrete frame buildings collapsed. One concrete frame with URM infill severely damaged. Corrugated steel roofs and horizontal wood flooring systems common in URM buildings. 28,000 estimated to be homeless and staying in temporary shelters as of 6 am PDT 4/8/09. Others have found refuge with friends and relatives. The region was initially developed ...
Virtual Disaster Viewer for L’Aquila Earthquake
The website allows users to view recent photos taken over pre and post event satellite imagery. The map viewer also allows you to view oblique "bird's eye" views of pre event fly over imagery. To view recent photographs of damage, be sure to place a checkmark into the "Show Photos" box. You will then see pin points show up in the map which you can click to view the photos. The website is located at: http://virtualdisasterviewer.com/vdv/index.php?selectedEventId=2
Structural Engineering
Latest Quick Response Report Gives a Glimpse of L’Aquila VulnerabilityThe Natural Hazards Center is pleased to announce the release of its latest Quick...
SEAOC Safety Assessment Program Comparisons with EU and Japan ProgramsTony Court and Fred Turner from the U.S. participated in an EU-funded safety assessment...
Onna vs. MonticchioToday we visited a number of small villages south-east of l’Aquila, including Onna...
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GEER findings – source description (very preliminary)The faulting associated with this earthquake is complex and is not yet well understood....
GEER findings – ground motionsWe have not looked at individual records yet, but we have the motions for the mainshock,...
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GEER findings – damsWe have visited the three dams at Campotosto Lake, which is a large reservoir north...
GEER findings – damage patternsWe examined damage patterns at two scales – damage within L’Aquila and regional...
More Geotechnical Engineering PostsEmergency Response
Emergency Management in this eventDavid Alexander, University of Florence, blog on emergency management and the earthquake: http://www.emergency-planning.blogspot.com/ Read More →
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