Build back better. The experience of the Irpinia 1980 earthquake in Potenza, Italy

March 2003 - ENEA Casaccia, Roma. Prof. Franco Braga recalls how the italian adventure of innovative earthquake protection started in Potenza, where he created a school of Earthquake Engineering at the University of Basilicata. From 1990 to 2000 he took the leadership in a project with the local government to train engineers on seismic retrofit of schools using energy dissipating braces, he designed and directed the construction of the base isolated buildings of the Unv. of Basilicata, and of the Rapolla building, subjected to an exciting campaign of "real" simulated earthquakes.

Italy, Basilicata region.

Basilicata, Italy. City of Potenza.

November 23 1980. Irpinia Earthquake.

Potenza, Piazza XIIX Agosto

Potenza, Bucaletto district, emergency housing for 700 displaced families.

Potenza, UniBas, University of Basilicata, founded in 1982, two years after the earthquake.

UniBas Campus, completed in 1996. Five base isolated buildings host the faculties of Agricolture and Science.

UniBas, Seismic Structural testing lab, completed 1997. Reaction wall for pseudodynamic tests and hydraulic systems functional in 2000 (courtesy M. Laterza).

UniBas, material and component testing lab. Static load test on rubber isolator device for the Rapolla building.

Rapolla, Potenza. Base isolated residential building for low income dwellings (design 1995, completed 2000). Subjected to full scale dynamic seismic tests (courtesy F. Braga, august 2000).


Rapolla, Potenza. Rubber base isolator (HDRB) placed between the structure and the foundation.


Rapolla, Potenza. Completed base isolated building and twin conventional (fixed base) building.

Potenza, Domiziano Viola school (my elementary school), retrofit with energy dissipating braces, completed 2002. The coloured braces act like "energy vampires" soaking up the earthquake energy that would otherwise damage the structure (courtesy F. Braga).
Potenza, Domiziano Viola school (my elementary school), retrofit with energy dissipating braces, (completed 2002, courtesy F. Braga).

Potenza, School retrofitted with energy dissipating braces, completed 2006 (courtesy F. Braga).

Potenza, "G. Leopardi" School retrofitted with energy dissipating braces, completed 2006, (courtesy F. Braga).

Potenza, School retrofitted with energy dissipating braces, completed 2006.