Feasibility study of earthquake early warning systems: the case of tunnels of the Italian high-speed railway network

The fragility curves commonly studied in the structural and geotechnical engi- neering can be used in the application of seismic Early Warning Systems (EWS) for the real-time estimation of the probability of damage of a structure and the implementation of safety proce- dures. This represents a valid tool for the mitigation of the seismic risk of the geotechnical work- system. This work presents an innovative approach for the study of the feasibility of a seismic Early Warning system applied to underground linear infrastructures. With this regard, the case of the high-speed railways Italian network has been considered. This is a probabilistic approach that exploits the disaggregation of the seismic hazard to define sets of virtual seismic sources poten- tially affecting railway's tunnels. Hence, the probability of seismic damage to tunnel structures and the time available for implementing real-time mitigation procedures can be calculated.