Thermal performance of a metro station in Turin equipped with energy geostructures

High pollution levels combined with the lack of green spaces are hitting many cities leading to the exploitation of the underground for transportation. Given the need to foster local energy sources with low environmental impact, energy geostructures are more and more being explored. In this context, the promising outcomes of the experimental campaign on the thermal activation of tunnel segments carried out on Turin ML1 South Extension encouraged the authors to investigate applicability of energy geostructures for Turin ML2 project. This paper is intended to focus on the understanding of the thermo-hydraulic behaviour of a metro station equipped with energy diaphragm walls. A 3D FE numerical model reproducing the layout of the planned Mole-Giardini Reali station is used to study the energy exchange potential of the thermoactive walls. The quantification of the exploitable energy to meet the user demands of the station and of buildings above will be discussed on the basis of the results obtained

Early-warning debris flow and avalanches detection system based on optical fiber polarization sensing

Landslides, avalanches and debris flows are the main hazards in the mountain environment, endangering people and infrastructures. The existing monitoring systems in the geotechnical field are often unsuitable for real-time applications, such as early-warnings of the aforementioned events. We present an optical fiber system able to give an alarm when some anomalous event is detected. Experiments have been carried on a reduced scale model of a slope of a mountain, showing that state of polarization monitoring is a reliable way to early-detect anomalous vibrations

A new real-time debris flow and avalanches detection system based on optical fiber sensing

The real-time detection of potentially destructive water, earth and snow mixtures such as debris flow and avalanches is a topic of growing interest to mitigate the risk in anthropized areas such as the Alpine region. In view of this, a new cutting-edge debris flow and avalanche detection system, called OPTIALP, was developed. The proposed system exploits the polarization variations induced on the fiber by mechanical vibrations, for the automatic detection along their propagation path of potentially destructive snow and soil-water mixtures. One of the main values-add of the OPTIALP system is the “quasi distributed” and spatially continuous detection along the whole fiber which improves the current monitoring technologies relying on “discrete” monitoring points and sensors. The OPTIALP system was designed and thoroughly tested in the laboratory environment by means of a specific setup. Over 650 tests were carried out and a new signal processing algorithm developed in Matlab environment capable to interpret the data acquired was created. The results showed that the OPTIALP system is able to correctly identify the signals produced by lab-scale mass movements

Considerazioni sulla classificazione del rischio delle gallerie stradali esistenti

Per gestire la problematica dell’invecchiamento e del degrado delle gallerie, che ha un impatto sulla funzionalità delle opere e sulla sicurezza degli utenti, è necessario disporre di metodi di classificazione del rischio specificamente predisposti. In questo articolo si forniranno alcune considerazioni e suggerimenti procedurali per la determinazione della classe di attenzione della galleria secondo l’approccio descritto nelle recenti Linee Guida per la Classificazione e la Gestione del Rischio, la Valutazione della Sicurezza ed il Monitoraggio delle Gallerie Esistenti promosse dal Consiglio Superiore dei Lavori Pubblici e dal Ministero. Con l’ausilio di alcuni esempi di applicazione, si proporranno strategie di interpretazione in relazione ad alcune scelte che, nell’attuale stesura delle Linee Guida, non risultano univocamente definite. Un ulteriore approfondimento sarà dedicato al tema della definizione di criteri di priorità per facilitare e velocizzare l’organizzazione delle attività di manutenzione

La modellazione numerica tridimensionale nello studio delle interferenze tra opere in sotterraneo e infrastrutture in superficie

L’approccio utilizzato a supporto della progettazione per lo studio dell’interazione tra lo scavo della nuova galleria ferroviaria Lonato della linea ad alta velocità/alta capacità Milano-Verona e l’autostrada A4 Torino-Triest

Sistemi innovativi di monitoraggio multisensore in ambito geotecnico

Dopo una breve descrizione delle tecniche di monitoraggio basate sull’interferometria radar da terra (GBInSAR) e sulle reti di sensori wireless (WSN) si descrivono alcune applicazioni di tali tecniche per il monitoraggio degli effetti indotti da scavi in sotterraneo, per il monitoraggio di edifici e strutture e per il monitoraggio di fronti di scavo di gallerie

Discontinuum modelling of slope instability as a support tool for risk management

The definition of threshold values within an early warning system for monitoring of an instability phenomenon in nearly real time represents a key step. Several approaches exist in literature, among which numerical modelling for the simulation of instability scenarios is the least common. The present paper illustrates how discontinuum numerical modelling can be used as a support tool for risk management with reference to a slope instability case study. The aim is to investigate the displacement rate that can anticipate the instability phenomena. To highlight the reliability of the models, back-analysis of a past instability event is carried out and a time-scaling coefficient is defined, and eventually validated, to match numerical results and monitored data. Based on such results, that reproduce the slope displacement trends from triggering to collapse, thresholds and related timespans to be adopted within the existing monitoring system are suggested

A new real-time debris flow and avalanches detection system based on optical fiber sensing

The real-time detection of potentially destructive water, earth and snow mixtures such as debris flow and avalanches is a topic of growing interest to mitigate the risk in anthropized areas such as the Alpine region. In view of this, a new cutting-edge debris flow and avalanche detection system, called OPTIALP, was developed. The proposed system exploits the polarization variations induced on the fiber by mechanical vibrations, for the automatic detection along their propagation path of potentially destructive snow and soil-water mixtures. One of the main values-add of the OPTIALP system is the “quasi distributed” and spatially continuous detection along the whole fiber which improves the current monitoring technologies relying on “discrete” monitoring points and sensors. The OPTIALP system was designed and thoroughly tested in the laboratory environment by means of a specific setup. Over 650 tests were carried out and a new signal processing algorithm developed in Matlab environment capable to interpret the data acquired was created. The results showed that the OPTIALP system is able to correctly identify the signals produced by lab-scale mass movements