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This study investigates the seismic response of archetype infilled reinforced concrete buildings representative of the existing Italian residential building stock by focusing on the modelling aspects of the existing infills, including their failure modes and interaction with the frame. The study compares the seismic response of the considered buildings, investigated through nonlinear static and dynamic analysis, with reference to two Performance Levels. The main variables considered are the construction period, the site hazard, the number of stories and the infill configuration. The observed return period capacity of the buildings mainly depends on the site hazard and on the construction period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the seismic response of reinforced concrete buildings designed according to Italian regulations and construction practices for three different post-WWII periods, up to the 1990s. Additional key investigated parameters are the number of stories and the site hazard. The main issues related to non-seismic and early seismic design practices are discussed. The study compares the seismic response of the buildings, investigated through nonlinear static and dynamic analyses, with reference to two performance levels, confirming and quantifying the increase in performance with the design codes evolution. The seismic behavior of infilled frames is investigated in the companion paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the seismic response of reinforced concrete buildings designed according to the current Italian building code. Number of stories, site hazard, presence and distribution of masonry infill panels, and type of lateral resisting system are the key investigated parameters. The main issues related to design and modeling are discussed. Two Limit States are considered, namely Global Collapse and Usability-Preventing Damage. The main aim of the study is a comparison between the seismic response of the buildings, investigated through nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. Irregularity in the distribution of infill panels and site hazard emerge as the most influential parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide experimental program on beam-column RC joints carried out in the framework of the DPC-Reluis Project (DPC: Department of Civil Protection, Reluis: Network of University Laboratories of Earthquake Engineering) is presented. All the experimental tests were performed at the Laboratory of Structures of the University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy. The main objective of the experimental campaign is to study and compare the post-elastic behavior of beam-column joints with different earthquake-resistant design levels, indicating the role of some structural parameters such as the axial load value acting on the column, beam dimensions, and steel type, on the joint performances and failure mechanism. The analyses have mainly been devoted to improving the assessment procedures regarding existing buildings but also to verifying the prediction capability of the capacity models relevant to beam-column joints contained in literature and in the new seismic codes. Following a short description of the experimental methodologies used in other campaigns, the experimental program is presented, providing a detailed description of the specimens and of the testing set-up. This is followed by a report of the main results of the cyclic tests performed on the beam-column specimens that highlight the role played by axial load and seismic design level in determining the failure mechanism and the global response of the joints. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

On October 31 and November 1, 2002, two earthquakes of magnitude 5.4 and 5.3 hit the area at the border between the Molise and Puglia regions in Southern Italy. The damage pattern in the epicentral area qualified the quake as an intensity VII MCS event, although providing a notable exception relevant to the small village of San Giuliano di Puglia. Since the first macroseismic survey, it appeared clear that in S. Giuliano the intensity was two degrees higher with respect to three neighbouring villages located within a radius of 3 km. Soon after the quake, our team started a campaign of microtremor HVSR measurements (Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio), then we installed accelerometers and carried out damage and geological surveys. Finally, we performed a geoelectrical tomography and two profiles of Vs velocity with depth using the NASW technique (Noise Analysis of Surface Waves). The preliminary observations indicate that ground motion amplification is present in S. Giuliano within the frequency band that may affect building. A strong velocity contrast 20 m deep causes the predominant peak. More amplification could be due to more complicated, 2D effects. As regards the damage pattern, it divides S. Giuliano in three zones showing different characteristics and seismic behaviour. A building-by-building survey is still under way to better evaluate vulnerability variations in different zones of the village. However, the acquired data so far is sufficient to propose site amplification as a possible cause of the damage enhancement observed in S. Giuliano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]