Sensitivity analysis of damaged monumental structures: the example of S. Maria del Suffragio in L'Aquila

In Italy, which accounts for an impressive number of architectural heritage sites, a large part of the territory is subject to seismic risk. Nonetheless, also the two recent examples of the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake and 2012 Emilia earthquake confirmed and highlighted the vulnerability of cultural heritage structures to these types of events. In this paper the church of Santa Maria del Suffragio (Anime Sante) in L'Aquila is used as a benchmark for the experimental validation of a finite element model on the basis of the data gathered by the permanent structural health monitoring system installed on the building by IUAV in 2009. Structural health monitoring techniques have been largely applied to cultural heritage buildings in recent times, mostly because of their non-destructive nature, and they have proven to be a valid tool in assessing the damage evolution and in characterising the global dynamic behaviour of the structure. In particular, a global sensitivity analysis technique has been applied to a finite element model. The model underwent a model updating procedure on the parameters chosen in the sensitivity analysis. The calibrated model is an invaluable tool in assessing the dynamic behaviour of the structure and may serve for several purposes.