The sphere of expertise of the ITC branch of L’Aquila, is the assessment of seismic vulnerability and analysis of the damage to the built heritage located in seismic areas, with particular regard to historical buildings, schools and the public building heritage in general. Methods of assessment and reduction of seismic vulnerability and damage are implemented through procedures, action techniques and strategies, monitoring and relevant cost estimates, both prior to and after the seismic event, in terms of support to planning and emergency management.

The staff of the ITC-CNR Institute in L’Aquila, mainly coming from the “Gruppo Nazionale per la Difesa dai Terremoti” (GDNT) and from the Scientific and Technological Activities Department of the CNR Institute, is highly experienced in the fields of seismic prevention, emergency management as well as post-earthquake “reconstruction” and seismic risk. It has operated on the field since the earthquake that struck Central Italy in 1984, with particular reference to the preservation, conservation and restoration of the historical built environment (common buildings, places of worships and historic centres). These activities were carried out also on the occasion of the earthquake that struck L’Aquila in 2009.

In the last few years the branch of L’Aquila has hired new professional experts, who allowed to investigate in more detail further aspects related to the preservation of the historical built environment, historic architectural and archeological monuments of historic town centres using G.I.S. digital technologies (Geographic Information Systems) for representing and modelling historic buildings and for managing databases.