Structural monitoring by the Italian Department of Civil Protection and the case of 2009 Abruzzo seismic sequence

This paper describes the accelerometric monitoring of buildings carried out by the Italian Department of Civil Protection (DPC) during the seismic aftershock sequence that hit Abruzzi (Italy) in 2009. This activity is illustrated in the framework of the whole DPC action in the field of seismic monitoring of civil structures. To this end a short description of the "Seismic Observatory of Structures", a permanent seismic monitoring network managed by DPC, is provided, and methods used for selecting, studying and modeling structures are presented. Particular attention is devoted to procedures and techniques used for data analysis and damage assessment. Finally, the case study of the town hall building of Pizzoli is shown to illustrate the results that can be obtained from measurement of the building response to aftershocks.