Application of seismic isolation in the retrofit of historical buildings

In this paper the studies carried out for the retrofit of Margherita Palace, seriously damaged by L'Aquila earthquake, are shown. The buildings and the tower have been first analyzed by means of ambient vibration tests, in order to find out the dynamic characteristics of the structure even in a damaged situation. On the basis of the results obtained and of the microzoning analysis carried out after the seismic event, the base isolation has been proposed as the most suitable solution for the seismic retrofit of the structure, because allows to obtain a good structural result without compromising the architectural characteristic of the superstructure. A new isolation system is then proposed for the seismic retrofit of historical buildings, based on the realization of an isolated platform under the building foundation without any intervention on the building. The system can be used for single buildings but also for complex structure, typical of Italian historical centres. © 2011 WIT Press.