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In this paper the seismic response of four church buildings in the l’Aquila April 2009 earthquake is analyzed. The buildings are: St. Giusta church, St. Maria di Collemaggio Basilica, St. Silvestro church and St. Pietro di Coppito church. The analyses are carried out by employing a “two-step” procedure suggested by the authors and already applied to similar case studies. The first step consists in three-dimensional linear analysis, while in the second step, two-dimensional non-linear analyses of macro-elements are carried out. The results coming from the two-steps, allow for understanding the observed damage and for approximately assessing the seismic level of the building.

<p>In this paper, the realisation of a reinforced concrete variable-thickness skew vault bridge recently awarded a special mention at AICAP 2009 Prize is illustrated. In the paper special attention is focussed on the material used (self-compacting concrete with special mix design to allow casting onto doubly inclined surfaces), on the concrete protection issues leading to choose a full surface protection with the use of mosaics and, finally, to the aspects related to the correct architectural design which involved the proper insertion of the bridge in the surrounding urban environment. In this activity special attention was paid to the aesthetic value of the construction in its entireness.</p>

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