Considerations on procedures implemented after the 1997 earthquake in the Marche Region: new contributions to the masonry consolidation.

Seismic events affecting Central Italy show the extreme fragility of architectural heritage and in particular of historical centers, an expression of unique and unrepeatable cultural values that make up their identity. The dramatic nature of these events underscores the need for profound reflection both at the technical and regulatory level and a re-reading of the experience after the 1997 earthquake. At procedural level, after 1997 seismic events, the norms were organized to promote a new design consciousness, oriented to respect for traditional techniques and at the same time open to new improvements, to increase the resistance capabilities of the aggregates and individual architectures. The purpose of the Code of Practice for Seismic Improvement in the Restoration of Architectural Heritage was to provide a methodological and technical address for the interventions aimed at material preservation of historical artifacts, including all the operations necessary to guarantee them stability, respecting the principle of minimum intervention. The architectural heritage damaged by recent seismic events has highlighted the need for a deepening in the cognitive and applicative practices of restoration interventions. This can be useful to deal differently with structural problems, especially with regard to the weakness of the brickwork, that in many cases have not been able to adequately withstand the new intense earthquakes, showing an extreme fragility in relation to the characteristics of the materials and constructive systems. Significant case studies are analyzed to develop some considerations on the structural behavior of buildings in the southern areas of the Marche Region.