Abstract:
"These guide-lines provide information about the study of damages by earthquakes on brick-buildings belonging to the territorial context of southern Modena area, in particular that of Medolla’s and San Possidonio’s communes, which were affected by the destructions provoked by the quakes of 20th and 29th of May in 2012. This territorial area directly affected by the earthquakes shows the typical characteristics of the southern plain in Emilia, to the south of the river Po, where the historical territorial set-up, the geomorphology and the natural and artificial drainage grid represent the distinguishing marks that differentiate it from the others in Emilia Romagna. The recent seismic facts have got into the background of a context characterized by the agricultural activity, by the agroindustrial production settlings, and of course by the building area all in all by force. Such a document includes suitable information to face the overall building problems pertaining to the specific peculiarities of this area, so it provides projects that might result ineffective in general; in fact the real damage level arises from a careful evaluation of the whole corresponding with each case, through the analysis of the buildings and the interpretation of the damage causes, with the object of reaching the following singling out of the necessary structural interventions to define the operational conditions on the building, that is to say the principles of intervention and prevention in a congruent and justifying way. It is divided into a general part referred to the geological and geophysical context, that is the analysis of the historical seismic events of the recent quakes and of the consequences it had on the territory and into the following parts dedicated to the analysis of specific brick-buildings and mixed ones. Actually it suggests an intuitive but logical approach, that is to say the typical complexity of brickbuildings, according to different forms and characteristics, to different regions and periods. To this purpose we remember that these buildings are located in Medolla’s and San Possidonio’s communes representing their own territory, their own history, as well as their culture and traditions, that is to say the distinctive well-rooted features of belonging, that symbolize the best side of our country. Therefore it’s a document that represents a small revisable and updating plug in a high tradition of the Italian studies on brick-buildings and on their behaviours under seismic events,within the worked-out knowledges and experiences.For example Professor Salvatore di Pasquale was the first to renew mentality and principles radically to face the study of audit problems and of understanding of the stability, safety and resistance of the historical brickworks. To this point we need to highlight that until the quakes of the last decade, most aseismic safety works have not proved good quality. It was usually a question of plans, which didn’t worry about looking at the “ building, “ that was deliberately ignored believing that it was inadequate. So the idea developped that the only possible solution was of arising in addition to the existent, by using new construction ways and adopting inappropriate intervention ways. The experience worked out on the buildings of Medolla and San Possidonio damaged by the earthquake of 20th and 29th of May in 2012,let to recognize the guide-lines for the diagnostic research in order to understand the seismic vulnerability of brick-buildings and to choose the most compatible and correct interventions, but above all to increase the consciousness and the awareness about the topic of the seismic risk."