The S. Maria di Collemaggio Basilica: From Vulnerability Assessment to First Results of SHM

Abstract

In this paper, the history of the basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio for the last 10 years is outlined: from the damage occurred during the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila, to the rehabilitation works and the main findings of the structural health monitoring (SHM) program carried out in 2018–2019. The restoration aimed at increasing the overall structural response by reducing the local collapse mechanisms (facade, apse, nave walls, etc.) observed after the seismic event. The vulnerability analysis, assessing the seismic capacity of the masonry structure before and after the restoration, throws light on the critical kinematic mechanisms, which are currently observed by a permanent monitoring system installed in 2017. First results concerning the dynamic identification of the basilica under both operational conditions and seismic events are developed and discussed. Furthermore, the maximum accelerations engaging each masonry macroelement during the last low-intensity earthquakes are discussed.