An Operational Model for Post-Earthquake Building Safety Assessment Based on Rapid Dynamic Analysis: The Pozzuoli Monitoring Framework

Structural and asset management, particularly in regions exposed to frequent and significant natural hazards such as seismic events, requires the development and implementation of robust operational frameworks and methodologies for the assessment and continuous monitoring of structural safety, in order to support risk-informed decision-making and effective emergency management. Historical evidence has shown that post-event structural management is complex, particularly for ordinary buildings, often compromised by ageing, poor maintenance, and outdated design codes. Moreover, many existing structures were built without considerations of seismic action, and their documentation is frequently incomplete or missing. In this context, the “Pozzuoli Monitoring Framework” project was conceived to develop and implement a monitoring framework capable of rapidly assessing damage in sentinel buildings, in order to support the development of damage scenarios for emergency management proce-dures following seismic events in a well-known region of southern Italy. The examined area is located within the caldera of the Campi Flegrei, an active volcanic region of significant size, ranking among the most extensive in both Europe and the world. In recent years, the area suf-fered significant bradyseismic activity, resulting in recurrent seismic events of varying intensity. The project involves a rapid assessment of building damage conditions through dynamic moni-toring systems based on tri-axial MEMS accelerometers. During the preliminary implementa-tion phase, three “sentinel buildings” were identified for continuous monitoring. This paper presents the Pozzuoli Monitoring Framework, including a description of the moni-toring network implemented, the data processing procedures adopted, and the preliminary re-sults of the ongoing investigation for an initial set of buildings.