New procedure for bridge analysis of heavy vehicles transit (NTEO)

Infrastructures such as Bridges and Viaducts can be significantly affected by the effects of Heavy Vehicles (H.V.) transit, which represent an unexpected overload, potentially greater than design stand- ard loads. Moreover, Heavy Vehicle transit authorization is a very onerous activity; as a matter of fact, safety check valuations of all the involved structures are required in reasonable time. NTEO (“New T.E. Online”) is a new H.V. transit authorization procedure, which aims to provide a semi- automatic method for estimating the assessment of several existing structures in the process of H.V. transit. The methodology is focused on the general approach of influence lines, related to the most critical sections of the examined structures (e.g. bending moment in the beam mid-span or shear in the beam support). The traditional definition of influence lines in bridge design is based on the common criteria of transversal distribution of the actions (Courbon, Massonet). Contrastingly, the NTEO procedure uses influence lines extrapolated from an explicit F.E.M. model of each structure involved in the H.V. transit. This choice requires the implementation of many calculation models, but at the same time leads to much more accurate and reliable results than the simplified theories of transversal distribution, especially when these theories can’t be applied. Once models have been created, it is possible to reuse the influence lines for different load scenarios, facili- tating authorizations for the following Heavy Vehicle transit

Are we ready for scaling up restoration actions? An insight from Mediterranean macroalgal canopies

Extensive loss of macroalgal forests advocates for large-scale restoration interventions, to compensate habitat degradation and recover the associated ecological functions and services. Yet, restoration attempts have generally been limited to small spatial extensions, with the principal aim of developing efficient restoration techniques. Here, the success of outplanting Cystoseira amentacea v. stricta germlings cultured in aquaria was experimentally explored at a scale of tens of kms, by means of a multifactorial experimental design. In the intertidal rocky shores of SE Italy, locations with a continuous distribution for hundreds of meters or with few thalli forming patches of few centimeters of C. amentacea canopy were selected. In each location, the effects of adult conspecifics and the exclusion of macrograzers (salema fish and sea urchins) on the survival of germlings were tested. We evaluated the most critical determinants of mortality for germlings, including the overlooked pressure of mesograzers (e.g. amphipods, small mollusks, polychaetes). Despite the high mortality observed during outplanting and early settlement stages, survival of C. amentacea germlings was consistently favored by the exclusion of macrograzers, while the presence of adult conspecifics had no effects. In addition, the cost analysis of the interventions showed the feasibility of the ex-situ method, representing an essential tool for preserving Cystoseira forests. Large scale restoration is possible but requires baseline information with an in-depth knowledge of the species ecology and of the areas to be restored, together with the development of specific cultivation protocols to make consistently efficient restoration interventions

Ecosystem services for supporting coastal and marine resources management, an example from the Adriatic sea (Central Mediterranean sea)

Ecosystem Services (ESs) assessment is increasingly considered the constitutive metric to embrace the social, ecological, and economic spheres. Spatially explicit ES assessments can integrate and standardize different types of information, making them comparable. In this context, a multiple coastal and marine ESs assessment in the Northern-Central Adriatic Sea was carried out, considering seven ESs. Two cultural (tourism and recreational boating), two regulating (carbon sequestration and coastal erosion prevention potential), and three provisioning (mussel, whitefish aquaculture, and industrial fishery) ESs have been measured. The spatial analysis described (un)sustainable human uses of ecosystems in the area. (De)coupling of ES capacities and flows and synergies and tradeoffs among ESs were analyzed. Results indicate spatial agreement for capacities, while contrasting results emerged from the analysis across flows and of the capacity-flow balance. The evidence of a geographical pattern and areas of high, medium, and low capability to provide ESs across the study area was highlighted, suggesting the need for implementing the natural resources management. Some coastal provinces maximize a single ES at the detriment of other ESs, and other provinces built mimics of Nature through artificial facilities. These strategies are not far-sighted in the view of conserving the supply of the whole ESs set. These findings might be useful in the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), and for the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Northern-Central Adriatic Sea