Empirical seismic fragility for the precast RC industrial buildings damaged by the 2012 Emilia (Italy) earthquakes

The paper analyses the seismic fragility of precast reinforced concrete buildings using observational damage data gathered after the 2012 Emilia earthquakes that struck Northern Italy. The damage level in 1890 buildings was collected, classified and examined. Damage matrices were then evaluated, and finally, empirical fragility curves were fitted using Bayesian regression. Building damage was classified using a six‐level scale derived from EMS‐98. The completeness of the database and the spatial distribution of the buildings investigated were analysed using cadastral data as a reference. The intensity of the ground motion was quantified by the maximum horizontal peak ground acceleration, which was obtained from ShakeMaps. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A design procedure for suspended zipper‐braced frames in the framework of Eurocode 8

In the recent past, suspended zipper‐braced frames were proposed to avoid one‐storey collapse mechanisms and dynamic instability under severe ground motions. In this paper, the design procedure suggested by Yang et al. is first slightly modified to conform to the design approach and capacity design rules stipulated in Eurocode 8 for concentrically braced frames. The procedure is applied to a set of suspended zipper‐braced frames with different number of storeys and founded on either soft or rock soil. The structural response of these frames is analysed to highlight qualities and deficiencies and to assess the critics reported by other researchers with regard to the design procedure by Yang et al. Then, improvements are proposed to this procedure to enhance the energy dissipation of the chevron braces and the response of the structural system as well. The effectiveness of the design proposals is evaluated by incremental dynamic analysis on structures with different geometric properties, gravity loads and soil of foundation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic hazard in southern Calabria (Italy) based on the analysis of a synthetic earthquake catalog

The application of a newly developed physics-based earthquake simulator to the active faults inferred by aeromagnetism in southern Calabria has produced a synthetic catalog lasting 100 ky including more than 18,000 earthquakes of magnitude ≥?4.0. This catalog exhibits temporal, spatial and magnitude features, which resemble those of the observed seismicity. As an example of the potential use of synthetic catalogs, a map of the peak ground acceleration (PGA) for a given exceedance probability on the territory under investigation has been produced by means of a simple attenuation law applied to all the events reported in the synthetic catalog. This map was compared with the existing hazard map that is presently used in the national seismic building regulations. The comparison supports a strong similarity of our results with the values given in the present Italian seismic building code, despite the latter being based on a different methodology. The same similarity cannot be recognized for the comparison of our present study with the results obtained from a previous study based on our same methodology but with a different geological model.     

Effects of enhanced loads of nutrients on epiphytes on leaves and rhizomes of Posidonia oceanica

The increase of anthropogenic activities has severely altered both terrestrial and aquatic systems. Urbanisation, excessive use of agricultural fertilisers, organic runoff and climate change have caused an increase of nutrients in coastal waters, altering the diversity and food-web structure of benthic assemblages. The aims of the present paper were to text if an experimentally increased availability of nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorous, in an oligotrophic basin, would affect epiphytic assemblages on leaves and rhizomes of P. oceanica and whether this could change rates of consumption of the plant by herbivores. In particular, we tested the hypothesis i) that changes to species composition and abundance of epiphytic assemblages generated by nutrients enrichment would vary between leaves and rhizomes and that ii) alterations to epiphytic assemblages on leaves might, in turn, modify feeding rates of herbivorous fish. After two years, the structure of both leaf and rhizome epiphytic assemblages responded to changes in nutrient concentrations before the occurrence of drastic alterations to the host plant, but only the former showed significant changes in terms of species composition. Moreover, a larger intensity of grazing on P. oceanica leaves was documented in experimentally enriched areas than in controls. The present findings and conclusions are applicable to other systems where patterns of biodiversity depend on changes in the availability of nutrients due to natural or anthropogenic events, likely interacting with biological processes, such as competition and grazing.     

Hard coastal-defence structures as habitats for native and exotic rocky-bottom species

The use of hard coastal-defence structures, like breakwaters and seawalls, is rapidly increasing to prevent coastal erosion. We compared low-shore assemblages between wave-protected and wave-exposed habitats on breakwaters along a sandy shore of Tuscany (North-Western Mediterranean). Assemblages were generally characterized by a low diversity of taxa, with space monopolized by Mytilus galloprovincialis and Corallina elongata on the seaward side of breakwaters and by filamentous algae on the landward side. Assemblages in wave-protected habitats were characterized by greater temporal stability than those in exposed habitats and supported non-indigenous macroalgae such as Caulerpa racemosa and Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides. Hence, the introduction of hard coastal-defence structures in otherwise soft-bottom dominated areas, attracting native and exotic rocky-bottom species, should be of great concern for the conservation of marine biodiversity at local and regional scales and for the management of biological invasions.     

Intraspecific diet shift in Talitrus saltator inhabiting exposed sandy beaches

Talitrid amphipods are the most abundant herbivores on exposed sandy beaches. Despite their important role as trophic intermediates between macrophytes and higher levels (i.e. insect and bird) of beach food webs, very little information is available on their feeding patterns. The main aim of this study was to investigate intraspecific differences in the feeding behaviour of Talitrus saltator. We tested the hypotheses that: (1) adult females and males showed different isotope signatures and therefore relied on different sources of food; and (2) patterns of variation of isotope signatures of juveniles differed from those of adult specimens, evidencing a diet shift during the development. We used stable isotope signatures and tested for differences upon the level on the shore, times of the year and beaches experiencing similar morpho-dynamic and environmental conditions. Finally, we investigated the trophic significance of macrophyte detritus in the diet of males, females and juveniles. Results showed that adult males had a more variable diet than females and juveniles (inferred from δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values). Dual-isotope graphs suggested that Sargassum muticum and Cystoseira baccata wrack could be among the main food sources for both juvenile and adult stage.     

Capacity and economic efficiency in small-scale fisheries: Evidence from the Mediterranean Sea

To design an effective capacity management plan for small-scale fisheries one must understand what one is measuring and define its capacity. As recognized by some authors, overcapacity is a problem that generally affects small-scale fisheries just as much as it does other types of fishing. This study aims to estimate fishing capacity, technical efficiency, scale efficiency and capacity utilization in a particular small-scale fishery in the Mediterranean, i.e., the Northwest Sardinian fleet in Italy. A non-parametric approach using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was applied to a sample of trawls in order to estimate their economic capacity, and related measurements were taken. The capacity and efficiency with reference to two different alternative scenarios were also calculated.     

Unpacking some of the linkages between uncertainties in observational data and the simulation of different hydrological processes using the Pitman model in the data scarce Zambezi River basin

The main objective of this study was to use an uncertainty version of a widely used monthly time step, semi-distributed model (the Pitman model) to explore the equifinalities in the way in which the main hydrological processes are simulated and any identifiable linkages with uncertainties in the available observational data. The study area is the Zambezi River basin and 17 gauged sub-basins have been included in the analyses. Unfortunately, it is not generally possible to quantify some of the observational uncertainties in such a data scarce area and mostly we are limited to identifying where these data are clearly deficient (i.e., erroneous or non-representative). The overall conclusion is that the equifinalities in the model are hugely dominant in terms of the uncertainties in the relative occurrence of different runoff generating processes, although water use uncertainties in the semi-arid parts of the basin can contribute to these uncertainties. The identification of landscape features that suggest the occurrence of saturation excess surface runoff provides some information to constrain the model. Improved independent estimates of groundwater recharge is also identified as a key source of observational data that would help a great deal in constraining the model parameter space and therefore reducing some of the model equifinality.     

A systematic analysis of the XMM-Newton background: III. Impact of the magnetospheric environment

A detailed characterization of the particle induced background is fundamental for many of the scientific objectives of the Athena X-ray telescope, thus an adequate knowledge of the background that will be encountered by Athena is desirable. Current X-ray telescopes have shown that the intensity of the particle induced background can be highly variable. Different regions of the magnetosphere can have very different environmental conditions, which can, in principle, differently affect the particle induced background detected by the instruments. We present results concerning the influence of the magnetospheric environment on the background detected by EPIC instrument onboard XMM-Newton through the estimate of the variation of the in-Field-of-View background excess along the XMM-Newton orbit. An important contribution to the XMM background, which may affect the Athena background as well, comes from soft proton flares. Along with the flaring component a low-intensity component is also present. We find that both show modest variations in the different magnetozones and that the soft proton component shows a strong trend with the distance from Earth.     

A discriminatory diagram of massive versus stratified deposits based on the sedimentation and bedload transportation rates. Experimental investigation and application to pyroclastic density currents

Dense gas-particle jets similar to collapsing eruption columns were generated by large-scale experiments. The column collapse resulted in a ground-hugging current forming stratified layers with bedding similar to natural pyroclastic density current deposits. At the impact of the collapsing column on the ground, a thick, massive bed was formed due to a high sedimentation rate that dumped turbulence due to high clast concentration. Down-current, flow expansion favoured turbulence and dilute gas-particle current that formed thin rippled layers deposited under traction. Experiments fed with fine ash (median size 0·066 mm) formed deposits without tractional structures, because fine particles, as other sedimentary fine material, is cohesive and exposes a limited surface to the shear stress. Experimental outcomes show that massive beds are formed where the sedimentation rate per unit width S_rw exceeds the bedload transportation rate Q_b by two orders of magnitude. A lower ratio generates traction at the base of the flow and formation of shear structures that increase in wavelength and height with a decreasing flux. This study presents a diagram that provides a useful addition for facies analysis of pyroclastic density currents, provided that deposits representing sustained sedimentation can be identified in the field. In the diagram a decrease in the S_rw/Q_b ratio corresponds to an increase in bedform size. Application of the diagram for hazard assessment purposes allows the reconstruction of the mass eruption rate of the Agnano–Monte Spina eruption at Campi Flegrei, which is the main variable defining the intensity of past eruptions, and of the Bingham rheology of the massive underflow of the Mercato pyroclastic density current at Vesuvius.