Milan, June 2017

Transport Infrastructure and GeosciencesResearch area of the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Who we are

GEO/05 – APPLIED GEOLOGY

ICAR/04 – ROAD, RAILWAY AND AIRPORT

ICAR/06 – SURVEYING AND MAPPING

ICAR/22 – CADASTRAL SURVEYING

L. Scesi (PO)

M. Papini(PA)

L. Alberti(RI)

P. Gattinoni(RI)

L. Longoni(RI)

E. Toraldo(RI)

F. Fiori(RI)

M. Crispino(PO)

L. Mussio(PO)

Caruso di Spaccaforno (PA)

8 Research fellows 2 PhD students

2 Research fellows 3 PhD students

PETROGRAFIC LABORATORY

ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY

1 PhD student

Petrographic laboratory

Point Load Strength Test

Freatimeter

Infiltrometer

Multiparametricprobe

Shape tracer

Sclerometer

Laser scanner

Road Research Laboratory

1. Laboratory tests on:- soil and aggregates- bitumen- bituminous mixtures

2. Full scale tests:- Surface Characteristics- Bearing capacity

3. Virtual reality simulations

Interuniversitarycentre of research on road safety (ROME)

Impresa Bacchi (Milan)

Soil and Aggregates

ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY: Tests and Equipment

• Soil Consistency and Atterberg Limits• Sieve Analysis • CBR – California Bearing Ratio• Los Angeles Abrasion Test• Sand Equivalent• Proctor Compaction • CLA

Los Angeles Abrasion Test

CLA

ProctorCompaction

BitumenExamples of TRADITIONAL TESTS:• Fraass Test (⇒ T at which it tends to break rather than to flow when stress)

• Penetration test• Softening Point

Examples of ADVANCED TESTS: • Fluorescence Microscope Image Analysis• Viscosity test (rotational viscometer)• Direct Tensile test• RTFOT (Rolling Thin Film Oven Test)

ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY: Tests and Equipment

Rotational viscosimeter

RTFOTDTT

Bituminous MixturesExamples of TRADITIONAL TESTS:• Marshall Characterization (compaction and Stability)• Indirect Tensile Strength Test

Examples of ADVANCED TESTS:• Gyratory Shear Compactor• Roller Compactor• Wheel Tracker• Fatigue• Elastic Stiffness

ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY: Tests and Equipment

Gyratory shear compactor

Roller compactor

Elastic stiffnessFatigue testWheel tracker

Full Scale tests:Surface Characteristics

TRADITIONAL TESTS:• British Pendulum Tester• Sand Patch Method• PermeameterADVANCED TESTS: • Walking Profiler ARRB• Georadar• Densimeter

ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY: Tests and Equipment

TRADITIONAL TESTS:• Static Plate Load Test• Benkelman Beam Test

ADVANCED TESTS: • Light Weight Drop Tester

Bearing Capacity

Brish Pendulum Tester

Profiler

Plate Load Test

•Groundwater resources management (both in alluvial and fractured-karst aquifer)•Characterization and re-use of inert quarries•Geothermal systems

NATURAL RESOURCES

• Groundwater resources depletion (both quantitative and qualitative)

• Landslides and river dynamic

• Implementation of civil engineering works (i.e. tunnels, roads, dams)

GEOLOGICAL HAZARD

The starting point is always the reconstruction of the geologicial and hydrogeological conceptual model!

Key research topics on Applied Geology

The geological conceptual model makes us “applied”

CARG – Experimental map n. 118 “Milano”

Groundwater flow modelingWELLS WITHDRAWAL

HEADS CHANGES

To assess GW resources, to characterize aquifers properties, to forecast climate change effects on GW, to optimize the resource management

In partnership with

Stochastic modeling of the groundwater flow for hazardassessment along the underground infrastructures of Milan

Interactions between groundwater and underground infrastructures

NAURU Project

To provide Nauru with new infrastructures for the groundwater exploitation and directives for its sustainable management (avoiding saltwater intrusion).

DEIB

The Gran Sasso aquifer

Delineation of protection zones for the main discharge area thought an integrated geomorphologic and chronologic approach

Water flow in rock masses

Continuum equivalent

Double continuum

Combined (discret+continuum)

Single discret network

Multiple discret networks

Continuum Discret

0

0,02

0,04

0,06

0,08

0,1

0,12

0,14

0,16

18/12/2008 28/03/2009 06/07/2009 14/10/2009 22/01/2010 02/05/2010

Flow

rate

s [m

3 /s]

Date [Days]

Q_obs Q_Modflow_Double_Porosity Q_Modflow2005

Rese

arch

gro

up o

f Hy

drau

lic E

ngin

eerin

g

Isotope and Compositional Fingerprinting for groundwater

• To create a competence center for environmental isotopic analysis• To study the biodegradation and isotopic fractionation mechanism• To detect microbiological markers

GC-MS

Cont

amin

ant f

ate

and

tran

spor

t in

grou

ndw

ater

CMIC

FINGERPRINTING project in partnership with

GC-IRMS

- Pilot plant in livestock farms- Data collecting for groundwater heat transport modeling

Geothermal HeatPump

Borehole HeatExchangers(BHE)

-Heat plume assessment- BHE modeling-GW flow influence on energy exchange

60 m

60 m

ECOZOO project in partnership with

Energy Dept.

Low enthalpy geothermal resources

• Design and implementation of experimental network of micro-seismic monitoring

• Collection and automatic analysis of data

• Effects of rainfall and frost weathering on fracturing degree and seismic signals

Micro-seismic monitoring

COD

Pressure transducers

Piezoelectric accelerometer

Thermo-couple

Climatic cell tests

Landslide hazard: rock falls

Slope stability and river dynamic interactions

Displaced volumes (Valle dei Mulini, LC)

Laser scanner ISS for monitoring the river-bank erosion

Potential erosion map (Val Rossiga, LC)

Torrioni di Rialba (LC)

-From landslide conceptual model to numerical modeling-Development of distributed models with GIS for slope erosion -Integration with hydraulic transport models-Experimental studies with new instruments

Research group of Hydraulic Engineering

Hydrogeolgoical susceptibility to landslide in Maierato (VV) after the February 2010 large

landslide

Hydrogeological susceptibility to landslides

From in situ surveyto numericalmodeling

Hydrogeological hazard on the cultural heritage

From hazard assessment to sustainable site development

Geological hazard for tunnelingFrom micro to macro characterisation of fault zones

Tunnel inflow assessment in sedimentary rock masses

SS 45Val Trebbia

Natural tunnel

Current roadway

Green area

• Design solutions for risk minimization

• Alternative routes

Hazard assessment on existing infrastructures

Research group of Road, Railway and Airport

ROAD & AIRPORT MATERIALS

ROAD SAFETY

DESIGN METHODS

ASSETS MANAGEMENT

INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION& MAINTENANCE TECHNIQUES

Key research topics on Road, Railway and Airport

SUN LIGHT

HarmlessSubstances

PHOTOCATALYST

POLLUTION

AIR

Multipurpose Pavements: PHOTOCATALYTIC PAVEMENTS

Photocatalytic activity test results

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

time [min]

conc

entr

atio

n [p

pb]

NO concentration

NOx concentration

NO2 concentration

Total NOx reduction

Determination of the environmental effectiveness

Increase safety in tunnel in terms of fire resistance and luminance mechanical properties during and after fire events toxic gas emissions fire resistance

Multipurpose Pavements: FIRE RESISTANT PAVEMENTS

RECYCLED MATERIALS

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the use of stabilized bottom ashes as pavement materials for foundation and base layers.

Incinerator

Bottom Ashes

Roads

R.E.S.A.

Full Scale Application – LIN AIRPORT

PERVIOUS CONCRETE PAVEMENTS

Storm water management

k=10-3 m/s

Gap-graded aggregates, no fines

Material characterization and improvement of mechanical behaviour

Applications currently limited

WITHOUT

WITH FIBERS

REINFORCED PAVEMENTS

1. Fiber reinforced cement bound materials (high tensile strength)

ITS ≥ 0.4 MPa

2. Use of geosynthetic interlayer as reinforcement

3. Polymer modified asphalt

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

0.E+00 2.E+03 4.E+03 6.E+03 8.E+03 1.E+04

Rut

Dep

th, R

D 6

0°C

[mm

]

Load Cycles (LC)

BO 3.6%

BO 4.1%

BO 4.6%

INNOVATIVE REHABILITATION OF CONCRETE SLABS

Slabs having longer service lives and reduced number of joints

LINATE AIRPORT

36R RWY Head (rigidpavement)

THERMOCOUPLES

STRAIN GAGES

h= 35 cm

10 m15 m

THERMOCOUPLES

STRAIN GAGES

h= 35 cm

10 m15 m

1- 6

13- 18

B

A

C

D

7-12

THERMOCOUPLES

STRAIN GAGES

h= 35 cm

10 m15 m

THERMOCOUPLES

STRAIN GAGES

h= 35 cm

10 m15 m

1- 6

13- 18

B

A

C

D

7-12

WIDEST single-slab worldwide!

Research group of Structural Engineering

HIGH BEARING CAPACITY AIRPORT PAVEMENTS

MALPENSA AIRPORT

Dialectic critique of data processing

It collects and newly interprets all the Survey and Mapping disciplines, and recognizes the need to extend its attention from Applied Mathematics and Physics to Human Sciences. Linguistics is the starting point, but Philosophy of Science and History of Science and Technique are also taken into account. The most important result shows a "parallelism" not only among stereo-images, 3D models and GIS' geo-database, but also among the geographic descriptive texts of landscapes, human settlements, cultural heritages, etc. so that Geomatics could meet Human Sciences.

Urban assessment - Building appraisal - Estimating

1. Economical assessment of design choices in the different design steps (feasibility study, preliminary and executive design)

2. Definition of Indexes and Indicators of Urban Quality

3. Economic consulting in environmental, urban and building field, also with reference to the valuation of extraordinary real estate and public goods.