This contribution presents a rapid post-earthquake evaluation procedure designed for strategic hydraulic infrastructures within the province of Ferrara. This procedure is motivated by the well-known seismic and hydraulic risks associated with this area. The 2012 seismic events in Emilia damaged a broad range of structures from cultural heritage buildings to industrial structures [1], as well as hydraulic facilities have suffered significant damages [2]. In particular, this territory is distinguished by the presence of interconnected small dams, spillways, reservoirs, and channels. Therefore, the potential malfunctioning of these infrastructures poses a direct threat to hydraulic safety of the entire area, thereby augmenting the overall hydraulic risk. Furthermore, the consequences of the lack of operational safety under flood events can be catastrophic for the surrounding area [3].

This study presents an application of the comprehensive multi-level inspection procedure proposed in [4], encompassing both structural and non-structural components, with the goal of detecting any instances of damage, anomalies, or malfunctions after an earthquake. Each inspection should consider the non-structural components which are particularly important for the overall functionality of the structure. These components include oleodynamic actuators and circuits, electrical systems, as well as local and global control devices. The method developed for activating the levels of control is based on the peak ground acceleration detected at the site, which is correlated with the vulnerability of the structures. This procedure has the potential to be a valuable tool in assisting decision makers of the civil protection when establishing priorities for interventions after a seismic event.

 Keyworks: post-earthquake assessment, hydraulic infrastructures, operational safety, damage detection

References:

[1] Minghini F, Ongaretto E, Ligabue V, Savoia M, Tullini N. Observational failure analysis of precast buildings after the 2012 Emilia earthquakes. Earthquakes and Structures 2016;11:327-46.

[2] Artioli E, Battaglia R, Tralli A. Emilia 2012 earthquake and the need of accounting for multi-hazard design paradigm for strategic infrastructures. Engineering Structures 2017;140:353-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.03.004.

[3] Hartford DND, Baecher GB, Zielinski PA, Patev RC, Ascila R, Rytters K. Operational safety of dams and reservoirs: understanding the reliability of flow-control systems. London: ICE Publishing; 2016.

[4] Nale M, Accolli M, Minghini F. Post-earthquake functionality assessment protocol for hydraulic infrastructures in lowland areas. 2025 (under review).