The STEP project (Strategies and Tools for Early Post-earthquake assessment, www.step.eu.com) was the pilot project which constituted the technical and technological background for the modules for the post-earthquake structural evaluation.

The main activities carried out within the STEP project were:
- development of the prototype of the MOBILE UNIT for structural assessment
- development of technical procedures
- test of the prototype mobile unit in simulated and real scenarios

Testing of the MOBILE UNIT in real-life scenarios allowed:
- evaluating potential technical and technological enhancements to be implemented
- evaluating potential limitations, deficiencies and/or criticalities in the response
- testing the efficiency of the prototype

DRHOUSE: a "step" forward
The real experience highlighted the need for a step forward, particularly concerning:
- the implementation of technical and technological improvements
- the coordination of structural evaluation at different levels, including the short term countermeasures
- the full development of a “module” according to the EU definition