PSI - Issue 78

Graziano Leoni et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 78 (2026) 1443–1450

1444

1. Introduction Seismic risk remains a significant threat to communities across Europe, particularly in regions affected by the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence. Despite substantial advances in seismic engineering, recent events have highlighted the need for more resilient infrastructure to enhance both community preparedness and rapid recovery. Modern research also emphasizes that seismic hazards often interact with other natural and climate-related risks, amplifying their potential societal and infrastructural impacts. Moreover, optimizing the use of limited funding for mitigation strategies remains crucial. In response to these challenges, the Italian Government, through the Special Commissioner for repair, reconstruction, assistance to the population, and economic recovery of territories affected by the seismic events since August 24, 2016, funded the establishment of four research centers — one in each affected region — dedicated to different fields. The Marche region hosts the International Center for Research on Sciences and Techniques of Physical, Economic, and Social Reconstruction (STRIC), a state-of-the-art laboratory designed to bridge critical research gaps and support the development of solutions for multiple natural hazards, with a particular focus on seismic risk. STRIC aims to serve as a reference point for Italy and Europe in risk reduction, preparedness, and recovery across natural hazards, aggregating in a single center a wide set of research facilities in the field of geology, seismic engineering, computer sciences, planning, social sciences, and promoting an effective development of multi disciplinary studies. The project partnership is leaded by University of Camerino and includes Universities of Perugia, Marche, L’Aquila, Chieti, Macerata, and the research institutions National Research Council (CNR), Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), and Fabre Consortium. For what concerns seismic engineering field, Shake-table testing is globally recognized as a key experimental method for evaluating structural performance under seismic action, as demonstrated by Van Den Einde et al. (2021) and Nakashima et al. (2018). Its advanced design features a pit housing two six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) shake tables — one fixed and the other movable up to 30 meters — each capable of supporting a 28-tons payload. This configuration enables a wide range of experiments, including structural and infrastructure assessments, hybrid simulations, soil-structure interaction studies, and industrial component testing. A movable reaction wall, inspired by the EFAST Project (2011), further enhances the laboratory’s ability to perform innovative large -scale experiments under seismic and other natural hazard scenarios. Other facilities worldwide, such as Ogawa et al. (2001), Van Den Einde et al. (2004), EFAST Project (2011), and Fossetti et al. (2017), have served as sources of inspiration for STRIC’s design, helping to address research gaps in the European context and promoting international networking. Strategically located near Camerino, a municipality severely impacted by the 2016 earthquakes and home to the historic University of Camerino (founded in 1336), STRIC is well-positioned to foster research collaborations, attract industrial partnerships, and contribute to the socio-economic revitalization of the Marche region and the central Apennines. The facility forms part of Italy’s broader strategy to enhance national and international competitiveness in risk management, climate adaptation, and resilient infrastructure. Through its comprehensive research capabilities, STRIC will play a crucial role in improving preparedness for natural hazards and facilitating more effective response and recovery strategies across Italy and Europe. 2. STRIC Laboratory: Key Features The STRIC facility consists of two adjacent rectangular buildings: the heavy laboratory and the offices building. The heavy laboratory houses the shake-table pit, hydraulic systems, a modular strong wall, and an overhead crane, while the offices building hosts offices, a computation center, laboratories, a training room, and flexible spaces. The heavy lab measures 25.7 × 53.35 m with a height of up to 17 m above ground and nearly -4.9 m below ground. The offices building measures 11.7 × 53.35 m with a height of 4.8 – 7.1 m and a sloped roof. Both buildings have steel structures above ground and reinforced concrete foundations, while the offices building is base-isolated to minimize vibration transmission from the shake-tables. A seismic joint (~30 cm) separates the two volumes, allowing differential movement. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a render of the STRIC facility and the general site layout, respectively.