Geological and geophysical characterization of the Brindisi di Montagna Scalo landslide (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

The Brindisi di Montagna Scalo Landslide in Southern Italy is an active complex mass movement, which affects the left slope of the Basento River. In the last few decades, this landslide has been continuously monitored, as it directly threatened some of the most important communication routes in the Basilicata Region. Nevertheless, little progresses have been made to prevent further landslide advancement, and continuous maintenance is required. With the aims of better understanding, the main factors controlling the evolution of this landslide, and suggesting the most appropriate countermeasures, a multidisciplinary study, based on the integration of direct and indirect techniques, was carried out. Direct techniques included multi-temporal geomorphological analysis of the slope, alongside geological and structural field observations. Indirect techniques consisted of electrical resistivity tomography acquisition. The combined analyses of the geological and geophysical data showed that Quaternary tectonic processes played a fundamental role as a predisposing factor, whereas seasonal rainfall, and the perpetual undercutting by erosional processes caused by the Basento River at the toe of the landslide are the main triggering mechanisms. The Brindisi di Montagna Scalo Landslide represents an outstanding case-study, concerning the interaction between a flow-like complex landslide and essential linear infrastructure, such as motorways and railways

The contribution of the scientific research for a less vulnerable and more resilient community: the Val d'Agri (Southern Italy) case

The increasingly intensive use of natural resources with consequent environmental impacts has generated numerous social conflicts over the years, for whose solution it is necessary to build up an innovative territorial governance model based on sustainable and resilience thinking. At the international level, the problems associated with oil and gas extraction activities have been tackled by recognizing scientific research as a strategic role aimed at guaranteeing a more in-depth knowledge of environmental issues, the creation of collaboration networks between the various stakeholders and the whole usability of environmental data. This article presents the commitment made by the National Research Council of Italy – Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis – CNR-IMAA to make the Val d'Agri community, an area affected by mining activities, less vulnerable and more resilient. Through the combined use of different scientific research methodologies, a multidisciplinary approach was developed which contributed to increasing the overall knowledge of the environmental problems of Val d'Agri as well as providing concrete indications for the development of more effective territorial management tools. Other activities, complementary to those of research, were aimed at ensuring correct and detailed environmental data information and communication and a broaden participation and involvement of citizens

A new joint application of non-invasive remote sensing techniques for structural health monitoring

This paper aims at analysing the potentialities of a new technological approach for the dynamic monitoring of civil infrastructures. The proposed approach is based on the joint use of a high-frequency thermal camera and a microwave radar interferometer to measure the oscillations due to traffic excitations of the Sihlhochstrasse Bridge, Switzerland, which was selected as test bed site in the ISTIMES project (EU - Seventh Framework Programme). The good quality of the results encourages the use of the proposed approach for the static and dynamic investigation of structures and infrastructures. Moreover, the remote sensing character of the two applied techniques makes them particularly suitable to study structures located in areas affected by natural hazard phenomena, and also to monitor cultural heritage buildings for which some conventional techniques are considered invasive. Obviously, their reliability needs further experiments and comparisons with standard contact sensors

Passive 3D motion optical data in shaking table tests of a SRG-reinforced masonry wall

Unconventional computer vision and image processing techniques offer significant advantages for experimental applications to shaking table testing, as they allow the overcoming of most typical problems of traditional sensors, such as encumbrance, limitations in the number of devices, range restrictions and risk of damage of the instruments in case of specimen failure. In this study, a 3D motion optical system was applied to analyze shake table tests carried out, up to failure, on a natural-scale masonry structure retrofitted with steel reinforced grout (SRG). The system makes use of wireless passive spherical retro-reflecting markers positioned on several points of the specimen, whose spatial displacements are recorded by near-infrared digital cameras. Analyses in the time domain allowed the monitoring of the deformations of the wall and of crack development through a displacement data processing (DDP) procedure implemented ad hoc. Fundamental frequencies and modal shapes were calculated in the frequency domain through an integrated methodology of experimental/operational modal analysis (EMA/OMA) techniques with 3D finite element analysis (FEA). Meaningful information on the structural response (e.g., displacements, damage development, and dynamic properties) were obtained, profitably integrating the results from conventional measurements. Furthermore, the comparison between 3D motion system and traditional instruments (i.e., displacement transducers and accelerometers) permitted a mutual validation of both experimental data and measurement methods

GPR and ERT Investigations in Urban Areas: the Case-Study of Matera (Southern Italy)

This paper deals with a geophysical survey carried out in some critical urban areas of the historical city of Matera (Southern Italy). Matera has a very complex shallower stratigraphy characterized by both anthropic and natural “targets” and is affected by geological instability. Therefore, Matera represents an ideal and very challenging outdoor laboratory for testing novel approaches for near-surface explorations in urban areas. Here, we present the results of a near-surface survey carried out by jointly applying Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) methods. The survey was implemented in three different critical zones within the urban area of Matera (Piazza Duomo, Piazza San Giovanni, Villa dell’Unità d’Italia). These test sites are of great interest for archaeological and architectonical studies and are affected by ground instability phenomena due to the presence of voids, cavities and other anthropic structures. The effectiveness of the survey was enhanced by the exploitation of advanced 3D tomographic approaches, which allowed to achieve 3D representation of the investigated underground and obtain information in terms of both the location and the geometry of buried objects and structures and the characterization of shallow geological layers. The results of the surveys are now under study (or have attracted the interest) of the Municipality in order to support smart cities programs and activities for a better management of the underground space

Middle to Late Pleistocene activity of the northern Matese fault system (southern Apennines, Italy)

International audienc

Metodologie di indagine per la valutazione della pericolosità sismica locale dell'Area Archeologica Centrale di Roma

In questa memoria sono descritti i metodi di indagine utilizzati per realizzare il modello di sottosuolo dell'area Archeologica Centrale di Roma, al fine di valutarne la pericolosità sismica locale. Lo studio è stato realizzato per conto del Commissario delegato per le Aree Archeologiche di Roma e Ostia Antica e in stretta collaborazione con il Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Diverse unità di ricerca, con competenze nei campi della geologia, della geotecnica, della geofisica e dell’archeologia, nel corso del 2010 sono state impegnate in acquisizioni sul campo e indagini di laboratorio i cui risultati hanno consentito: 1) di rivalutare l'assetto stratigrafico, idrogeologico e geotecnico dell'area in studio e realizzare una cartografia geologica e idrogeologica aggiornata in scala 1:2000, corredata da sette profili geologici; 2) di definire un modello di sottosuolo finalizzato alla valutazione della risposta sismica locale, attraverso a) una mappatura della morfologia sepolta sotto la coltre antropica, b) l'individuazione del basamento sismico, c) la caratterizzazione dei terreni e delle rocce tenere in campo ciclico. Il modello di sottosuolo così definito è propedeutico alle analisi numeriche 2D e, quindi, alla realizzazione della carta di microzonazione sismica di livello 3, attualmente in fase di ultimazione