Dynamic characterisation of a test site in Messina (Italy)

A dynamic characterisation for the test site of Regional Civil Defence Department in the city of Messina, Italy, has been carried out with the aim of forecasting the distribution of seismic geotechnical hazard within the city. These results can be used by the Civil Defence Department and by other services for disaster planning management. On December 28, 1908 at 5:20 a.m. local time, a devastating earthquake occurred along the Strait of Messina between eastern tip of Sicily and the western tip of Calabria in the south of Italy. The Messina Earthquake, also known as the Messina-Reggio Calabria Earthquake, caused severe ground shaking throughout the regions and triggered also a local tsunami. The dataset clearly points out the vulnerability of the physical environment to the occurrence of 1908 Messina like-earthquakes (and associated tsunamis). The identification and characterization of the most vulnerable sites nowadays exposed to the occurrence of earthquake environmental effects is essential in the seismic risk assessment of the Messina area. Within this aim field and laboratory experimental data allowed the definition of a geotechnical model of the subsoil in the city of Messina. For the site characterisation of soils deep site investigations have been undertaken. Borings and dynamic in situ tests have been performed. Among them Down-Hole (D-H) and Seismic Dilalometer Marchetti Tests (SDMT) have been carried out, also with the aim to evaluate the soil profile of shear wave velocity (Vs). Undisturbed samples were retrieved from boreholes for static and dynamic characterisation through laboratory tests.