D’APPOLONIA S.p.AD’APPOLONIA S.p.A

Tsunami Early Warning Tsunami Early Warning SystemSystemInfo DayInfo Day

UNESCO/IOC, ParisUNESCO/IOC, Paris31 January 200631 January 2006

Company overview

D’AppoloniaD’Appolonia is an engineering company founded in Pittsburgh in 1956 by Prof. Elio D’Appolonia

Since 1982 D’Appolonia S.p.A. is an Italian private Italian private company with over 250 company with over 250 staff (190 engineers) staff (190 engineers) and 5 offices in Italy

COMPANY OVERVIEWCOMPANY OVERVIEW

The objective of an Integrated Simulation System is to validate Tsunami detection capabilities and related performance of the Monitoring and Alert Systems and to improve alert capacity and preparedness of equipment/interventions teams, by providing a set of facilities to:

Tests of equipment in case of complex scenarios and critical events;

Improving a common understanding of how to best conduct/manage missions/emergency situations;

Supporting Training exercises among staff/intervention teams to improve their preparedness and response capabilities to critical events (repeat training exercises more than one time);

Supporting new systems development.

Integrated Simulation System for Integrated Simulation System for Tsunami Monitoring and Tsunami Monitoring and AlertAlert Center Center

An Integrated Simulation System is composed by simulators and real equipment stimulated by a common synthetic environmental scenario.

Example of Integrated Simulation Example of Integrated Simulation System for Tsunami Alert and Monitoring System for Tsunami Alert and Monitoring

Center (1/2)Center (1/2)

Deep Sea Buoy

SatelliteProcessing

UnitSimulator

Surface Wave Radar

Simulator

Integrated Simulation SystemIntegrated Simulation System

Surface Wave RadarProcessing

Unit

Deep Sea Buoy

Satellite data

Processing Unit

Tsunami Allert CenterTsunami Allert CenterReal Sensors Acquisition SystemReal Sensors Acquisition System

SwitchSwitch

Probabilistic and statistical approaches Probabilistic and statistical approaches to estimate tsunami potential and impactto estimate tsunami potential and impact

D'Appolonia's main interest is development of probabilistic methodologies to evaluate tsunami impact hazard.

The firm has matured experience regarding probabilistic hazard analysis in the fields of earthquake engineering, industrial HSE and mechanical reliability/availability.

The main thrust of our work will be to study tsunami runup data to develop empirical/statistical wave height attenuation correlations, and implement them in a probabilistic framework to evaluate tsunami hazard.

D’Appolonia proposes to look at the problem in a different way, applying techniques developed for earthquake hazard assessment.

Probabilistic and statistical approaches Probabilistic and statistical approaches to estimate tsunami potential and impactto estimate tsunami potential and impact

Statistical analysis of tsunami variability One of the main issues for risk assessment is the uncertainty regarding potential tsunami impacts at a site. Estimates of the inherent uncertainty in the phenomena are required for any serious attempt to produce probabilistic tsunami hazard mapping .

PTHA Methodology A “Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis” (PTHA) approach, once fully developed and validated, would provide a rational framework for designing tsunami risk mitigation measures. The PTHA methodology to be developed will be similar to the well established Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA).

Risk assessment and management strategy Design of a rational decision making framework for mitigation of tsunami risk.

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Cooperative Reserch Projects Submitted

Innovation Management Experience

Success Rate 100%In the new EC instrument: Integrated Project for sectoral innovation

D’Appolonia is participating in projects for Innovative Product Development since 1997 both in co-funded research programs at European level and in consulting services for industry

More than 35 innovative ideas selected over 200 proposals from industry, developed from idea to field test, IPR control, and market exploitation

Success Rate 80%In medium sized projects (for NPD)5 Times Better Than The Average Applicant

Company overview