Seismic response of RC buildings during the M_w 6.0 August 24, 2016 Central Italy earthquake: the Amatrice case study

In the aftermath of the M_w 6.0 August 24, 2016 Central Italy earthquake, the authors carried out a reconnaissance survey in the municipality of Amatrice and gathered extensive photographic evidence of damage, with emphasis on 37 reinforced concrete buildings located outside the historical centre. Damage distribution is generally represented by widespread cracking and/or collapse of the masonry infill panels at the lower buildings' stories. Moreover, damage was observed in the columns due to the interaction with masonry infill panels. Starting from the collected information, POST—a mechanics-based damage prediction model—was applied in order to compare predicted damage distribution and damage observed during the field reconnaissance. The comparison shows an overall good agreement between the results of the POST method and the observed damage with a slightly conservative tendency by POST.