PERPETUATE · Performance-based approach to the earthquake protection of cultural heritage in European and Mediterranean countries

PERPETUATE intends to develop European Guidelines for evaluation and mitigation of seismic risk to cultural heritage assets, with innovative techniques for the seismic strengthening of historical buildings and the preservation of artworks (frescos, stucco-works, statues, battlements, banisters, …). The main deliverable of the project will be made by a main document, which outlines the safety and conservation conceptual approach and the overall methodology, and other specific documents, describing the different components of the risk analysis. Two different problems are considered: a) assessment of a single cultural heritage asset (hazard analysis; soil foundation problems; investigations for the building knowledge; seismic analysis; SHM and strengthening interventions); b) policy initiatives for seismic risk mitigation (simplified vulnerability and risk analysis at territorial scale). Other important deliverables will come out from the application and validation of the methodology in several case studies (the Citadel of Algiers and the historical centre of Rhodes, both in the UNESCO list of the World Cultural Heritage, the St.Maria Paganica Cathedral and the Branconio Palace in L’Aquila – Abruzzo Region, the St. Pardo Cathedral in Larino –Molise Region, the Cathedral St. Nicholas in Ljubljana –Slovenia). The call asks for the development of “integrated methodologies and innovative tools” for “protection .. of the main cultural heritage assets as regards the impact of earthquakes” and makes expressly reference to the contribution for improved regulation and standards. The recommendations recently issued by the Italian Ministry of Culture represent the framework for the development of European Guidelines, applicable in the European and the other Mediterranean countries. The methodology proposed in PERPETUATE will use a displacement-based approach for the vulnerability evaluation and the design of interventions; the use of safety verification in terms of displacement, rather than strength, orients to new strengthening techniques and helps in the comprehension of the interaction between structural elements and unmovable artistic assets.