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Lessons learned from two case histories of seismic microzonation in Italy

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Abstract

The prediction of the variability of the seismic ground motion in a given built-up area is considered an effective tool to plan appropriate urban development, to undertake actions on seismic risk mitigation and to understand the damage pattern caused by a strong-motion event. The procedures for studying the seismic response and the seismic microzonation of an urban area are well established; nevertheless, some controversial points still exists and are discussed here. In this paper, the selection of a reference input motion, the construction of a subsoil model and the seismic response analysis procedures are discussed in detail, based on the authors’ experience in two Italian case histories: the seismic microzonation of the city of Benevento, which was a predictive study, and the simulation of seismic response and damage distribution in the village of San Giuliano di Puglia, which was a retrospective analysis.

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Acknowledgments

The research projects on Benevento and San Giuliano di Puglia were funded by the Department of Civil Protection, the INGV and the Italian Ministry of University, which are gratefully acknowledged. The studies were carried out in interdisciplinary cooperation with several research teams. The exchange of ideas with colleagues of different competences was a valuable support to enrich the authors’ knowledge. Authors wish to thanks Dr Stefania Sica, Dr Francesca Pacor, Dr Marco Mucciarelli, Ms. Diletta Aliperti, Mr. Saverio Garofalo, Mr. Carlo Petillo, Mr. Michele Pierri and Mr. Pierluigi Pascale for their participation to the research projects carrying out numerical analyses. Ms. Anna Pietrosanto, Dr Angelina Parlato, Prof. Federica Cotecchia, Dr Claudia Vitone and Prof. Claudio Mancuso are acknowledged for the execution and the interpretation of laboratory and in situ tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Structural and Geotechnical Dynamics Laboratory StreGa, Di.B.T. Department, University of Molise, via Duca degli Abruzzi, 86039, Termoli, CB, Italy

    Filippo Santucci de Magistris

  2. DICEA Department, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, 80125, Naples, Italy

    Anna d’Onofrio, Augusto Penna & Francesco Silvestri

  3. Sezione di Milano, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, via Bassini 15, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Rodolfo Puglia

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  1. Filippo Santucci de Magistris
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  2. Anna d’Onofrio
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  5. Francesco Silvestri
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Correspondence to Filippo Santucci de Magistris.

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This paper is dedicated to late Prof. Filippo Vinale, University of Naples Federico II, who led with love, passion and talent the research team.

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Santucci de Magistris, F., d’Onofrio, A., Penna, A. et al. Lessons learned from two case histories of seismic microzonation in Italy. Nat Hazards 74, 2005–2035 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1281-6

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