Francesca da porto

• Phd in Structural Engineering
• Professor (Full) at University of Padua

This paper presents the development and analysis of a bridge bearing database consistent with the 2020 Italian Guidelines (LG2020), currently enforced by the Italian law for risk classification and management of existing bridges. The database was developed by putting together the contribution of 24 research teams from 18 Italian universities in the...

The use of brick masonry infill walls is a common technique in reinforced concrete (RC) frames. Although classified as non-structural elements and often neglected in design frameworks, they can influence the seismic performance of RC frames by increasing the overall structural stiffness. Furthermore, they can introduce significant structural irregu...

Risk assessment at national scale is crucial to devise mitigation strategies and policies aimed at disaster risk reduction. Among other building types, school buildings represent a key asset, due to huge consequences of their collapse or unusability in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In this context, this contribution presents the derivation o...

In Italy, mixed masonry-reinforced concrete structures represented a common building type in the reconstruction period following the Second World War. Thus, a significant portion of the built heritage (in particular public buildings) nowadays belongs to this structural type. However, the interaction of masonry and reinforced concrete (r.c.) compone...

This paper presents the results of the seismic assessment of an existing masonry arch bridge, performed using an advanced modeling strategy based on the discrete element method in three dimensions. The bridge, located in Northern Italy and made of regular stone masonry, is characterized by three consecutive arches with similar geometry. The complet...

The use of brick masonry infill walls is a common practice in reinforced concrete (RC) frames. These, classified as non-structural elements and often overlooked in design models, strongly influence the seismic behaviour of RC frames by increasing the overall structural stiffness. In addition, they can lead to significant structural irregularities a...

This article presents the derivation of a fragility model for the Italian masonry school building asset, comprising 265 sets of fragility curves for as many building types, classified on the basis of few parameters: construction age, number of stories, plan area, and type of masonry (i.e. with regular or irregular pattern). The fragility assessment...

Seismic events that have occurred in Italy in recent decades have shown the significant vulnerability of the Italian building stock. In particular, residential masonry buildings have suffered serious damage, highlighting the need to plan effective mitigation strategies as soon as possible. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the effectiven...

Several earthquakes have highlighted over time the high vulnerability of masonry churches to horizontal actions, so that more and more research is being devoted to the assessment of their seismic response and to the design of strengthening interventions to guarantee their preservation. This paper analyses in detail the damage suffered by a large sa...

In recent years, the number of applications of Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) techniques for structural health monitoring (SHM) purposes has constantly raised. One of the main advantages that MT-InSAR can provide is the possibility to analyze wide areas, such as entire cities or archaeological sites. Thus, severa...

The sequence of seismic events occurred in last decades in Italy highlighted the high vulnerability of churches. Since the Umbria–Marche earthquake in 1997, a systematic series of post-earthquake surveys has been carried out. The data collected during those surveys were used to propose first sets of vulnerability and fragility curves. After the thr...

This paper presents a prioritisation procedure to rank reinforced concrete (r.c.) buildings that are part of a stock according to their seismic vulnerability, and to plan further verifications and retrofit interventions. The proposed approach is based on visual inspections, qualitative evaluation, and quantitative assessment. The qualitative evalua...

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) represents a very powerful tool to assess the health condition of buildings. In recent years, the growing availability of high-resolution SAR satellite images has made possible the application of multi-temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) techniques for structural monitoring purposes, with...

In this paper, the vulnerability of ordinary unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings is analyzed, and the literature related to possible seismic retrofit interventions is reviewed in order to investigate their feasibility and effectiveness. These interventions are then simulated on a database of 445 buildings through Vulnus_4.0 software, that performs...

Satellite interferometry has recently developed as a powerful tool for monitoring displacements on structures for structural health monitoring (SHM), as it allows obtaining information on past deformation and performing back analysis on structural behavior. Despite the increasing literature on this subject, the lack of protocols for applying and in...

Nowadays, there is still very little scientific understanding of the seismic response of mixed masonry-r.c. structures, despite their unneglectable frequency, in particular in public building assets. This contribution presents the investigations carried out on a representative school, built at the turn of 1950s and 1960s. It is a two-storey buildin...

This contribution proposes a procedure to prioritise retrofit interventions on stocks of bridges according to their seismic vulnerability. The procedure also combines a previously presented approach to evaluate deterioration effects on bridges at a territorial scale. Thereby, the combination of the two approaches provides a multi-risk classificatio...

In the last decade, increasing attention has been paid to the seismic vulnerability of steel pallet racks, mainly due to the catastrophic effects recorded in recent earthquakes and the increased use of these systems in the production and e-commerce sectors. For example, in May 2012 the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna was hit by a seismic swarm tha...

In the last years, the use of Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) technique for structural health monitoring (SHM) of buildings and infrastructures has spread. Compared to traditional monitoring methods, MT-InSAR technique involves a number of advantages, e.g. perform back-analysis and extend the monitoring to the sur...

The Italian bridge asset is dated, and the functionality of many bridges is jeopardised by degradation due to ageing and environmental effects, as well as by increasing traffic loads. An adequate operational monitoring and maintenance program is essential for ensuring the safety condition of these critical structures. Administrations in charge and...

The renovation of existing buildings plays a key role in achieving the ambitious target of climate neutrality of the EU set out within the EU Green Deal. Through increased renovation of energy inefficient buildings, a reduction in energy consumption in the building sector can be achieved, as targeted by the Renovation Wave initiative. When consider...

To achieve the ambitious target of climate neutrality of the EU set out within the EU Green Deal, a reduction of energy use in the highly energy consuming building sector is critical. To achieve this, the renovation of existing buildings has been given a key role, starting with the Renovation Wave initiative. In fact, a large proportion of existing...

Assessment of churches based on empirical data at a territorial scale is a suitable tool to have an overview of the seismic behaviour of this peculiar structural typology and to evaluate their current state of vulnerability. Fragility and vulnerability curves are also aimed to perform the analysis of different seismic scenarios. The paper presents...

Ageing of the building stock is an issue affecting many regions in the world. This means a large proportion of existing buildings being considered energy inefficient, with associated high energy use for heating and cooling. Through renovation, it is possible to improve their energy-efficiency, hence reducing their significant impact on the total en...

Masonry arch bridges, despite their age, are still fundamental structures in transport networks throughout Europe, especially for railways. Furthermore, these bridges are often found in seismic-prone areas, such as Italy. Developing of specific fragility models is of fundamental importance for large-scale seismic risk assessments of these structure...

Recent Italian earthquakes have shown the high seismic vulnerability of pallet racking systems. In the down-aisle direction and in the absence of bracing systems, these structures are very flexible moment-resisting frames. Instead, in the cross-aisle direction they consist of slender trusses, stiffened by various bracing systems; the latter, althou...

The assessment of churches at a territorial scale is a suitable tool to have an overview of the seismic behaviour of this peculiar structural typology and to evaluate the current state of vulnerability based on empirical data. Fragility and vulnerability curves can also be obtained to perform the analysis of different seismic scenarios. The paper p...

Reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures infilled with clay masonry walls represent a common construction practice worldwide. However, the significant interaction between in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) response of the infill walls, and their brittle behaviour, can increase the seismic vulnerability of the building to both local and global me...

Following the 2016 central Italy earthquakes, the high seismic vulnerability of existing buildings is once again at the center of the debate. Indeed, the majority of the Italian building stock (around 60%) was built before adopting the first seismic provisions (1974) and in a territory entirely characterized by medium to high levels of seismic haza...

Nell'articolo si illustrano sinteticamente e si discutono l'organizzazione e i principali contenuti della nuova prEN1996-1-1 "Design of masonry structures-Part 1-1".

The inter-storey seismic isolation technique is becoming increasingly attractive for the seismic risk mitigation of buildings, also as alternative strategy to base isolation. The reasons for applying this technique can be various and of different nature, such as: architectural concerns, feasibility of construction, and performance benefits. An inte...

The earthquakes of the last decades have shown that the Italian residential masonry built heritage has high seismic vulnerability, in particular when considering structures built be-fore 1919. For this reason, it is necessary to develop effective large-scale risk mitigation strategies in order to reduce the huge losses that could occur in the after...

Seismic risk is one of the main problems in highly urbanized countries with a considerable seismic hazard like Italy. To assess seismic risk of the built heritage, it is necessary to deepen the knowledge of its components, vulnerability in particular. Vulnerability can be evaluated through mechanical methods, which require detailed information on p...

Seismic risk and scenario assessments at large-scale provide important science-based tools to support governments and civil protection departments in investment policies and emergency planning. In this framework, school buildings are particularly significant due to the consequences of their damage or collapse and their relevance, as public building...

The Italian bridge asset is characterized by aged structures, most of which made of reinforced concrete, needing retrofit interventions to improve both their seismic performance and load-bearing capacity towards the increased traffic volume. In order to provide a series of guidelines for retrofit, a research project, carried out by the ReLUIS conso...

The challenge of large-stock maintenance with limited budget is faced by administrations in charge which need tools for management and intervention prioritization. This need is especially perceived for bridges which are strategic structures and represent crucial elements in roadway networks. Since 2016, a combined prioritization procedure has been...

School buildings are considered relevant structures and their safety towards seismic actions shall be verified in consideration of the significant consequences of their collapse. With reference to Italy, most reinforced concrete (r.c.) schools were built after the second world war and in the later years of the economic boom, before a widely applied...

The construction of reliable numerical models is a key aspect within the seismic assessment of existing unreinforced masonry buildings. However, it is also a complex process due to the many uncertainties involved that can affect the structural response. In situ tests allow for the acquisition of data at a local scale. Nonetheless, supplementary inf...

Seismic risk assessment at the territorial level is now widely recognised as essential for countries with intense seismic activity, such as Italy. Academia is called to give its contribution in order to synergically deepen the knowledge about the various components of this risk, starting from the complex evaluation of vulnerability of the built her...

The last National Risk Assessment NRA for Italy was developed at the end of 2018 by the Department of Civil Protection (DPC) in response to the specific requirement of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 to periodically adjourn the assessment of disaster risk. The methodology adopted to perform seismic risk assessment and bui...

The Department of Civil Protection (DPC), in compliance with the EU decision 1313/2013 and at the request of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 to update the disaster risk assessments by various countries, released the latest National Risk Assessment for Italy at the end of 2018. Specifically, as regards the seismic risk ass...

Italy is one of the countries most subject to seismic risk, not only because of high seismicity, but also because of its significant exposure and vulnerability. These aspects can determine very high social and economic costs for the country. In order to have a good estimate of risk indicators such as economic losses, casualties and usability of bui...

This paper presents an overview of the experimental results obtained by combined in-plane/out-of-plane (IP/OOP) tests carried out on robust clay masonry infill walls. The combined tests were carried out on eight full-scale one-bay, one-story infilled reinforced concrete (RC) frames, plus one reference RC bare frame. In four cases, the masonry walls...

More than the 60% of the Italian residential building stock had already been built by 1974, when seismic codes were enforced on a minimal part of the country. Unreinforced masonry buildings represent most of that share, but they are typical for each region, in terms of both materials and structural configurations. The definition of ‘regional’, i.e....

This paper presents an overview of the experimental results obtained by combined in-plane/out-of-plane (IP/OOP) tests carried out on reinforced concrete (RC) frames infilled with thin clay masonry walls. After preliminary characterization tests on building materials, combined IP/OOP tests on eight full-scale one-bay, one-storey infilled RC frames w...

Seismic risk mitigation at national scale requires the vulnerability assessment of the built stock, along with seismic hazard and exposure evaluation. In this work, the fragilities of more than 500 Italian unreinforced masonry (URM) residential buildings, related to an intermediate damage state DS (between severe and moderate), were calculated base...

The shuttering block construction system is used for the construction of loadbearing walls and consists of special blocks with cavities suitable for hosting vertical and horizontal reinforcements and the cast-in-situ concrete. These walls present a resistant concrete grid made of vertical columns joined together by horizontal squat beams with regul...

The ongoing revision of Eurocode 6 is an occasion to reconsider the criteria for verifying the second-order effects in URM walls subjected to combined vertical and out-of-plane loading. The current method proposed in Eurocode 6 is based on an axial load capacity reduction factor (ϕm), the values of which are estimated with an approximate model, con...

Although the load-bearing capacity of masonry walls has been receiving researchers’ attention since the 1950s both analytically and experimentally, in the scientific and technical community there is still heated debate on the actual methodology to adopt for the verification of URM walls subjected to eccentrically loaded walls, considering second-or...

Bridges play a crucial role as they are critical elements in several road networks. Recent trends in condition state assessment require to evaluate not only the seismic vulnerability and the load carrying capacity for increased traffic loads, but also the damage state due to decay and environmental effects. in order to evaluate the structural relia...

The paper presents a detailed report on a large sample of masonry churches damaged by the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequence. The first part of the work analyses the seismic sequence to give an overview of the occurred events in terms of both ground motion parameters and macro-seismic intensities. The surveyed data are organized into a databa...

The correct estimation of modal parameters has an important role in ensuring the structural reliability of existing bridges. Operational modal analysis provides rather accurate extraction of natural frequency and mode shapes, but the corresponding damping estimates are subjected to higher uncertainties. This paper reports the results of ambient and...

Recent earthquakes in Italy have significantly affected productive activities, particularly in business interruption (BI) and, consequently, heavy losses for companies, highlighting the need for appropriate seismic risk assessment and management. To estimate seismic risk accurately, both direct (repair/replacement) and indirect (BI) losses must be...

The use of unreinforced thin clay masonry infills in RC frames as internal partition walls is widespread. Medium and more severe earthquakes are responsible of relevant monetary and human life losses caused by the interaction between the In-Plane and the Out-Of-Plane action that affects these non-structural elements. In order to reduce the Out-Of-P...

Masonry infill walls present a brittle behaviour when subjected to combined in-plane and out-of-plane actions due to seismic events. This characteristic is even more pronounced in thin infill walls, often characterised by masonry units with high void ratio, horizontal hole arrangement and low compressive strength. Thin infills are mainly employed a...

The present paper focuses on the experimental and numerical study of three solutions for the strengthening of thin masonry infills in existing Reinforced Concrete multi-storey buildings. Combined In-Plane/Out-Of-Plane experimental tests were conducted to characterize the response of thin masonry infills externally reinforced by means of plaster lay...

Between August 2016 and January 2017 nine shallow earthquakes ranging from 5.0 and 6.5 of moment magnitude affected Central Italy, involving several municipalities wherein unreinforced masonry buildings are more than three quarters of all constructions. Damage state has been very severe, with sixteen settlements belonging to the municipalities of A...

This paper focuses on the structural performance of existing masonry and reinforced concrete bridges which were surveyed in the aftermath of the 2016 Central Italy earthquakes. Typical bridge vulnerabilities are first reviewed, as they provide a reference for the response of the bridges that were damaged by the 2016 earthquake swarm. Case studies a...

Bridges play a crucial role as they are critical elements in several road networks. Recent trends in condition state assessment require to evaluate not only the seismic vulnerability and the load carrying capacity for increased traffic loads, but also the damage state due to decay and environmental effects. in order to evaluate the structural relia...

The use of fluid viscous dampers (FVDs) together with isolators is effective in reducing isolators’ displacement while keeping low isolation stiffnesses: therefore, such a hybrid system is suitable for buildings with inter-storey isolation in order to limit P-Δ effects. However, previous studies regarding base isolation showed that the additional d...

The purpose of the "Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030"is to provide the guidelines for the management of multi-hazard risks, in order to substantially decrease the losses of human lives, livelihoods, as well as of economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries. Wi...

Seismic assessment and retrofit interventions are required to enhance the reliability of strategic structures, since they are to be fully operational for post-event emergency activities. In this framework bridges play a crucial role as they are critical elements in several road networks. Thus, their condition state assessment is a theme of broad an...

Italian school heritage is largely composed by dated buildings, which have clearly shown high vulnerability during recent earthquakes. The evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of school buildings has a crucial role in the mitigation of earthquake impact due to the consequences associated with their collapse. For this reason, after the tragic col...

Recent earthquakes in Italy have highlighted the importance of the risk assessment and management for productive activities, due to business interruption (BI) costs. In order to estimate this risk properly, both direct (repair/replacement) and indirect (BI) losses should be quantified. A recent study, calibrated on a real case study – a biomedica...