Earthquake geotechnical engineering

The EUCENTRE Foundation has many years of experience in the field of earthquake geotechnical engineering and engineering seismology, gained through research projects funded by public and private entities both in Italy and abroad. The expertise developed includes the calculation of baseline seismic hazard using advanced probabilistic approaches, the simulation of real earthquakes through sophisticated computational codes, the selection of spectrum-compatible real accelerograms on a regional scale, and the execution of feasibility studies for seismic early warning systems.

The Foundation also conducts evaluations of expected seismic ground shaking at both site-specific and large territorial scales using reliability-based methods, assesses the geotechnical-seismic stability of strategic sites, and analyzes the multi-scale risk associated with co-seismic soil liquefaction. Additional areas of expertise include national-scale assessments of the seismic vulnerability of critical infrastructure such as ports, earth dams, airports, retaining structures, and underground works; the development of computational tools for analyzing the seismic response of structures and infrastructure, also in near-real time, considering the interdependence of system components; and the design of decision support systems (DSS).

The scope of work is further enriched by assessments of the seismic stability of natural and artificial slopes, field surveys focused on geotechnical damage from recent earthquakes, and the execution of non-invasive geophysical investigations for geotechnical site characterization, including the joint measurement of seismic-stratigraphic and damping profiles, even during post-earthquake emergency phases, as in the case of the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence.

Some Active Projects

Below are some of the current research projects in which the Foundation is participating:

Some Completed Projects

Below are some of the completed research projects in which the Foundation has participated:

Some Developed Products

Below are some of the products developed and realised by the Foundation: