Damage and collapse mechanisms in churches during the Pianura Padana Emiliana earthquake

Maurizio Indirli, Giuseppe Marghella, Anna Marzo - ENEA, Technical Unit for Seismic Engineering

During the seismic event of May 2012 in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), several cultural heritage structures (in particular churches and bell towers) collapsed or were severely damaged. This paper gives a description of the damage/collapse mechanisms observed on some buildings, subject of the investigation of the ENEA expert teams, supporting the Italian Civil Protection Department and the Regional Directorate for Cultural Heritage and Landscape in Emilia-Romagna