Rock mechanics and slope stability

Cluster

  • Hydraulic Engineering, Geotechnics of Road Infrastructure and Safety

Description

The research group deals with issues related to the analysis, assessment and mitigation of the hydrogeological risk, in particular related to slope failures and their interaction with the anthropic territory, according to a multi-risk analysis approach. The group has developed a particular expertise in the analysis and prediction of slope stability, both in rock and earth, assessing their landslide hazard, potential failure mechanisms, triggering factors, areas endangered and possible engineering countermeasures to mitigate the effects of a landslide event. The research activities carried out by the group are both experimental and computational in nature. In addition to the geological-technical and geomechanical field survey activities, which are aimed at characterizing landslide areas and geomaterials, there are also analytical and numerical modelling activities of unstable slopes, aimed at understanding the complex mechanical processes that drive instability and that can lead to the potential landslide phenomenon. Particular interest is devoted to the definition of monitoring and early warning systems and stabilisation works of landslides.

Research subjects

  • Technical characterization of geomaterials; Study of the pre-collapse behaviour of unstable slopes; Back-analysis of large rockslides; Stability analysis of colluvial covers subject to rainfall-induced landslides; Numerical modelling of unstable rock slopes.

ERC panels

  • PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, offshore construction, lightweight construction, geotechnics
  • PE8_4 Computational engineering

Members

Paolo PARONUZZI
Alberto BOLLA
Marco DEL FABBRO
Funzionario - Settore scientifico-tecnologico