Seismic risk reduction in Italy through innovative techniques: 1 - Progress of R&D on seismic isolation

Summarised in this paper are the some of the most recent studies performed in Italy on seismic isolation (SI), in the framework of ongoing projects, partly funded by the European Commission (EC) or sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). More precisely, this paper shortly deals with: (1) detailed numerical analyses of elastomeric isolators, performed in the framework of a IAEA Co-ordination Research Programme; (2) studies for development of design guidelines for isolated nuclear plants applicable in the EC countries and Russian Federation; (3) analysis of the benefits of floor SI of strategic civil buildings with modular steel-frame structure; (4) records of an aftershock of the 1997 Marche & Umbria earthquake on a seismically isolated building; (5) promotion of demonstration applications of innovative anti-seismic techniques to both new constructions and existing buildings; (6) evaluation of the benefits of applying SI to chemical plant components. Studies concerning SI of electric equipment were described in detail in a previous paper. A separate paper, presented at this conference, deals with R&D in progress on energy dissipation systems.