The book on Seismic mcrozonation for L'Aquila area reconstruction now available
A study promoted and coordinated by the Civil Protection Department and Abruzzo Region
The book on Seismic mcrozonation for L'Aquila area reconstruction is now available in the publications section.
The publication is the result of a study promoted and coordinated by the Civil Protection Department and Abruzzo Region, that involved some 150 researchers and techinicians of 10 Italian universities, 8 research institutes, the Order of the geologists of Abruzzo, four Regions (Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and Tuscany) and the autonomous Province of Trento. This is one of the most advanced studies of this type in the world, realized in a short time. The seismic Microzonation plan the L'Aquila area - provided by article 13 of order no. 3772 of 19 May 2009 - allowed to define seismically the territory of the municipalities worst hit by the 6 April quake. i.e. the ones where the quake had an intensity equal or superior to the seventh grade of MCS - Mercalli Cancani Sieberg - scale.
The work was planned and managed following the “Guidelines and Criteria for Seismic Microzonation” approved at the end of 2008 by the Civil Protection Department and the Conference of the Regions and autonomous Provinces. The seismic Microzonation is fundamental for the territory authorities in order to direct planning choices and identify areas for new settlements, define possible interventions in a given area and emergency planning. After disastrous events like the one of 6 April 2009, the seismic microzonation is an essential tool for reconstruction after the quake of inhabited centres.
Seismic microzonation studies allowed to define the boundaries of areas with the same features, by dividing them into: stable areas, stable areas with possible local amplificaton and areas prone to instabilities.
As of January 2010, on the Civil Protection Department and on Abruzzo Region website, seismic microzonation maps of each locality, so as to ease the activity of reconstruction at various levels after the quake: geologists, structure planners, local technicians and administrators. The studies, along with the intermediate results and complete records of experimental investigations carried out, were collected in this volume and attached DVD, including addressing the relationship between seismic microzonation and city planning for some of the most affected municalities. The book and the DVD have been officially presented at a press conference on May 3, 2011, held in Palazzo Silone, premises of the Abruzzo Region.