Latest Quick Response Report Gives a Glimpse of L’Aquila Vulnerability

The Natural Hazards Center is pleased to announce the release of its latest Quick Response Report, Vulnerability of Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings and their Occupants in the 2009 L’aquila, Italy Earthquake.

The report, by University of Colorado (CU) Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering researchers Abbie Liel and Kathryn Lynch, is the result of a field study following the April 6 L’Aquila, Italy, earthquake. The authors collected information on more than 450 reinforced concrete structures. By examining that information along with census and other social data, they found 38 percent ofL’Aquila residents living in reinforced concrete structures experienced moderate or heavy damage to their homes. The damage led to significant disruption of the community and social fabric, including the closure of government offices, churches, restaurants, and schools.

The fieldwork, funded by the Natural Hazards Center Quick Response Grant Program, will be the basis for a National Science Foundation RAPID research project on progress and priorities in L’Aquila’s recovery and reconstruction. The original research team will work with CU Engineering Professor Ross Corotis, CU Institute of Behavioral Science Research Associate Jeannette Sutton, and University of Chieti-Pescara Professors Guido Camata and Enrico Spacone to study decision making and recovery progress over the next nine months.

The Italian government’s new approach to disaster recovery—and probable resulting changes in decision making and organizations—makes the study particularly compelling. Interviews with reconstruction and building industry leaders, government officials, and community leaders are expected to wrap up in Spring 2010.

Preliminary Report from GEER

The Preliminary Report on the Seismological and Geotechnical Aspects of the April 6 2009 L’Aquila Earthquake in Central Italy can be read on GEER’s website (click title).

Related EERI Publications

EERI members can download the following publication at no charge from the members-only area of the web site http://www.eeri.org/site/membership/membership-renewal. A limited number of printed versions are available free-of-charge to members and nonmembers by calling 510-451-0905 or e-mailing EERI Here.

Recent Italian Earthquakes: Examination of Structural Vulnerability, Damage, and Post-Earthquake Practices, by Joe Maffei, Paolo Bazzurro, Joshua Marrow, and Agostino Goretti. Italy has comprehensive systems in place for the collection of earthquake damage data and the prediction of building vulnerability. Published in 2006, this 180-page report capitalizes on the “living laboratory” of earthquake damage experience and research in Italy, where sophisticated methods of damage and vulnerability assessment have been developed over the last 30 years. The report explores the distinctive Italian practices from several angles: by reviewing Italian damage and vulnerability assessment procedures in general, by studying specific buildings, by examining the uniquely detailed Italian methods of classifying construction types, and by reporting findings based on Italian data collection.

EERI members can download the following special issue of Earthquake Spectra originally published in July 2004 (http://scitation.aip.org/vsearch/servlet/VerityServlet?KEY=EASPEF&ONLINE=YES). It is also available to members and nonmembers for $25 plus shipping from http://www.eeri.org/cds_publications/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_26&products_id=246

2002 Molise, Italy, Earthquake Reconnaissance Report, Paolo Bazzurro and Joe Maffei, tech. eds. On October 31 and November 1, 2002, two magnitude Mw 5.7 earthquakes struck the rural Molise region in southeastern Italy, killing 30 people, 27 of whom were children trapped in the collapse of an elementary school. This 360-page report covers the findings of ongoing studies of the technical and social lessons afforded by the disaster. In 1998 the area was declared a medium seismicity zone, but an administrative delay in updating the seismic zonation meant that up until the time of the earthquake, there were no seismic requirements for new construction

Observations on RC construction from EERI Team

The large majority of reinforced concrete buildings in the epicentral area fared well if we consider that they were subjected to a ground motion equal or larger than those they were designed for. In the last 25 years L’Aquila and its province were considered to be in the Class 2 seismic area of the building code and these buildings were designed for a horizontal acceleration of 0.25g. In the epicentral area maximum accelerations up to 0.67g were measured although a recording station went off scale at 1g (see discussion below). Read more

Observations from EERI/PEER Team

From EERI/PEER Team: Masonry Damage Read more

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 Read more

Observations from Degenkolb Engineers – Building Performance in L’Aquila

The structures located outside of the historic core in L’Aquila are typically constructed of  unreinforced masonry or buildings with a reinforced concrete frame(beams/columns) with hollow clay tile infill partitions.  From our observations of the reinforced concrete frame structures, we have frequently seen little damage to the concrete frames. There are occurrences of hollow clay tile that has undergone a shear mechanism or experienced out-of-plane failure due to lack of anchors at the top/bottom of the walls. Read more

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) Read more

Main Shock Time Histories from station AQV (provided by M.Celebi, USGS)

Largest peak accelerations of the main shock from station AQV  and their amplitude spectra :  Read more

Damage photos from Onna

Damage photos from the heavily affected village of Onna.

Provided by Professor E. Lekkas, University of Athens. Read more

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