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In this study, we assess the dynamic characteristics of a 8-story RC-building composed by two units connected through a structural joint. This building, belonging to one of the largest hospitals in northern Greece, has been selected in the framework of an European funded project (REAKT) as test site for developing a Structural Health Monitoring system and it is instrumented with a permanent strong motion network. The assessment of the dynamic characteristics is performed using ambient vibration recorded by a temporary seismic network installed inside the structure. Non-parametric identification methods, namely the Peak Picking and Frequency Domain decomposition, are applied to perform operational modal analysis and extract the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the structural system. Since the detection of changes in the shear wave velocity inside the building is relevant for Health Monitoring analysis, we use the ambient vibration recordings to perform a deconvolution interferometry. Moreover, a shear-beam model is considered to estimate the velocity in the first three floors, where the distribution of internal sources introduces complex patterns in the impulse response functions. The velocity for lowest part of the building is estimated by optimizing the match between the arrival times of the empirical and theoretical pulses. Finally, the velocities and quality factors estimated from ambient vibration analysis are consistent with preliminary results obtained analyzing earthquake data recorded in the same building.

Insertion of a VP shunt represents the most frequent method of choice of the surgical treatment of hydrocephalus, but also potentially a highly risky procedure followed by various complications about which parents should be informed when patients are children. Owing to adequate approach in the follow-up of children with implanted VP shunt, large bowel and urinary bladder perforation, examples of severe and potentially fatal complications of this surgical intervention, could be disclosed on time and adequately resolved.

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The rapid estimation of expected impacts in case of an earthquake is extremely important for emergency managers and first responders. Current near-real-time damage assessment methods rely on ground-motion estimates and exposure or fragility datasets, in some cases integrating the shaking recorded at the site (e.g., from strong-motion monitoring networks). We propose a method that estimates the expected damages on buildings based on strong-motion recordings of a seismic event. The damage assessment is based on the maximum drift (interstory) or the displacement, which is estimated by considering in a first approximation the behavior of a specific building typology as a single-degree-of-freedom oscillator. The oscillator is characterized based on the analysis of the building stock and a large number of ambient vibration measurements performed in buildings. A specific damage state occurs when the interstory drift or displacement limits available in the literature for the specific building typology are exceeded. The method, here applied to a case study in northeastern Italy, can be applied to other seismic areas worldwide to provide quick, first-level estimates of expected damages.

14In the context of seismic vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, the use 15 of field monitoring data constitutes a significant tool for the representation of the actual structural state, 16reducing uncertainties associated with the building configuration properties as well as many non-17 physical parameters (age, maintenance, etc.), enhancing thus the reliability in the risk assessment 18 procedure. In this study, the seismic vulnerability of existing RC buildings is evaluated, combining 19 through a comprehensive methodology, the numerical analysis and field monitoring data. The 20 proposed methodology is highlighted through the derivation of "time-building specific" fragility curves 21for an eight-storey RC structure (hospital building), built almost five decades ago, that is composed by 22 two adjacent units connected with a structural joint. The assessment of the dynamic characteristics is 23 performed using ambient noise measurements recorded by a temporary seismic network which was 24 deployed inside the hospital. The modal identification results are used to update and better constrain 25 the initial finite element model of the building, which is based on the available design and construction 26 documentation plans. Three-dimensional incremental dynamic analysis is performed to derive the 27 fragility curves for the initial as built model ("building-specific") and for the real structures as they are 28 nowadays ("time-building specific"). The initial "building-specific" curves are evaluated through their 29 comparison with conventional generic curves that are commonly used in risk assessment studies. 30Moreover, in order to enhance the reliability of the obtained results, the "time-building specific" fragility

FRIBAS database is an open access database (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6505442) made up of the characteristics of 313 buildings (71 masonry, 238 reinforced concrete and 4 mixed types). It collects and harmonizes data from different surveys performed on buildings in the Basilicata and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions (Southern and North-eastern Italy, respectively). Each building is defined by 37 parameters related to the building and foundation soil characteristics. Building and soil fundamental periods were estimated experimentally based on ambient noise measurements. FRIBAS gave us the opportunity to study the influence of the main characteristics of buildings to their structural response and soil-building interaction effect. In this study, we have used FRIBAS dataset to investigate how the building period varies as a function of building typologies and soil conditions. Our results motivate the need of going beyond a ‘one-fits-all’ numerical period-height (T-H) relationship for generic building typologies provided by seismic code, towards a specific characterization of T-H relationships that account for both soil and building typologies.

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