ENDED IN 2017
One of the most difficult problems that engineers and Civil Protection agencies face after an earthquake consists in rapidly assessing all affected structures, determining whether they can be used in view of strong aftershocks. This activity is even trickier if considered in international emergencies.
The Matilda Project (MultinATIonaL module on Damage Assessment and countermeasures) is then focused on the design and implementation of a multinational macro-module for post-earthquake building safety assessment and countermeasures in international emergencies.
The macro-module is based on the experience developed within the DrHouse project, funded by the European Commission under the “Preparatory Action on an EU Rapid Response Capability”.
Main result of DrHouse project was the design, implementation, training and exercising of the Build-Safe macro-module. While Build-Safe entirely consists of Italian resources (Civil Protection Department, Eucentre, Fire Department, Italian Regions), Matilda project is intended to provide the multinational dimension to the macro-module.
In international emergencies, trained multinational teams can work very effectively and perform even better than national resources because of the multicultural integration leading to more flexible solutions.
Training and exercising is however a crucial issue for multinational teams. This is why the project includes training courses, devoted to technical activities, cultural awareness and international emergencies, to be organised in the countries participating to the project.