Environmental Engineering

MATTIA GIOVANNI CRESPI

The course has the general objective to supply the main theoretical fundamentals and the basic practical hints and tips of the positioning techniques: fundamental concepts of geodesy (where I want to get my positions); main sensors, the supplied observations and the main surveying schemes (how I have to collect the information for positioning); discussing the necessary (functional and stochastic) observations modeling and statistical processing to obtain the point coordinates and their precision (how I have to compute the positions from the collected information); finally illustrating the basics of cartography and the Italian official map at 1:25000 scale.


Knowledge and understanding
Students who have passed the exam will be able to know the main methods and techniques for positioning necessary for the analysis and solution of engineering problems of environmental and territorial interest (ref. Framework A4.b.2 SUA sheet - “… Training in the characterizing and related disciplines of engineering for the environment and the territory relatively the acquisition of knowledge and understanding has the objective of providing specific methodological elements for the analysis, modeling, design and management of works and interventions potentially capable of interacting with the environment. In developing the training process, the student will acquire in particular: knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles of geodesy, terrestrial and satellite topographical positioning techniques and the acquisition and management of territorial information ").

Applying knowledge and understanding
Students who have passed the exam will be able to contribute to the design of simple positioning operations to solve engineering and environmental problems (ref. Framework A4.b.2 SUA sheet - "... During the course of the educational process, the student will develop the ability to apply all the knowledge acquired in the various disciplines, including Positioning, to define and solve specific problems of the engineering for the environment and the territory, up to an intermediate level of complexity ").

Making judgment
Students will be able to acquire autonomy of judgment thanks to the skills developed during the execution of the numerical and practical exercises, that will be proposed on the different topics of the course, and which in particular will concern: the rigorous design of data acquisition, analysis and interpretation experiments aimed at positioning; the ability to operate in a positioning laboratory; the ability to choose and use appropriate equipment, tools and methods to solve positioning problems; understanding the limitations of methods and techniques.

Learning skills
The acquisition of basic methodological skills on the topics covered, together with state-of-the-art operational skills, favors the development of autonomous learning skills by the student, allowing continuous, autonomous and thorough updating.

Objectives

Motivation of the course
The course finds its motivation in the observation that any action/phenomenon occurs in a place and in an epoch and therefore has a spatio-temporal connotation (position, instant). It is estimated that about 80% of all available data and information has a spatio-temporal connotation ("geospatial data and information"), and is intrinsically linked to a position and an epoch.
However, while the definition and representation of the temporal connotation generally refers to the usual time scale, the definition and representation of the position is more complex, being in general non-unique and also dependent on the purpose of the geospatial data.
The course illustrates the basic concepts, methods and techniques for defining, determining and representing positions.

Knowledge and understanding
Students who have passed the exam will be able to know the main positioning methods and techniques necessary for the analysis and solution of engineering problems of environmental and territorial interest.

Applying knowledge and understanding
Students who have passed the exam will be able to contribute to the design of simple positioning operations to solve environmental and land engineering problems.

Making judgment
Students will be able to acquire independence of judgment thanks to the skills developed during the execution of the numerical and practical exercises that will be proposed on the various topics of the course, and which in particular will concern: the rigorous planning of experiments for the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data aimed at placement; the ability to operate in a placement laboratory; the ability to select and use appropriate equipment, tools and methods to solve positioning problems; understanding the limits of methods and techniques.

Learning skills
The acquisition of basic methodological skills on the topics covered, together with state-of-the-art operational skills, favors the development of autonomous learning skills by the student, allowing continuous, autonomous and in-depth updating.

The following previous knowledge are mandatory for a proficient attendance and understanding of the course:
Calculus 1 and 2
Geometry and Linear algebra
Physics 1
Probability, statistics and fundamentals of estimation theory

0. Presentation of the course

1. How we define and represent position - Geodesy - Reference systems and Coordinate systems
Reference frames and coordinate systems and their transformations and conversions
Reference frames on the Earth: Earth gravity field, geoid, ellipsoid
Coordinate systems on the Earth: geocentric Cartesian, ellipsoidal, local Cartesian, local level Cartesian
Reference frames and their materialization at global (ITRS, ITRF), European (ETRS89, ETRF2000) and Italian (ETRF2000-RDN; ROMA1940, ED1950) level
EXERCISE 1 - Transformations between reference frames and conversions between global and European coordinate systems
EXERCISE 3 - Transformations between reference frames and conversions between coordinate systems at Italian level

2. How we perform measurements to determine position - Sensors and Measurement Methods
Main geodetic observables: angular measurements, distance measurements, height difference measurements, GNSS position and baseline, measurements on images
Main geodetic sensors: theodolite, distance meter (total station), level, GNSS, imaging sensors
Fundamental principles for the solution of a positioning problem
EXERCISE 2 - Practical exercise

3. How we process measures to determine location - Models, Uncertainty, Location estimation
Center, dispersion, outliers and robust estimators, mean theorem, covariance propagation law
Observation equation, observation equations for the main geodetic observables, gravity field approximations
Estimation principle, least squares estimation principle
Outlier search tests, parameter tests

4. How we store location - Cartography (Geospatial Data Models)
cartographic projection
UTM and Gauss-Boaga systems
Map of Italy and its use
Introduction to orthophotomaps and digital terrain models

Reference books are available at webpage:
https://sites.google.com/a/uniroma1.it/mattiacrespi-eng/teaching/geomatics-and-geoinformation/teaching-material?authuser=0

Reference books are available at webpage:
https://sites.google.com/a/uniroma1.it/mattiacrespi-eng/teaching/geomatics-and-geoinformation/teaching-material?authuser=0

Lessons and exercises are given in classroom

Attendance is optional but strongly recommended

Exam rules

The exam consists of three parts:

1 . at least two individual written reports on the exercises carried out during the course; all the reports must be submitted through Google Classroom at least one week before each exam session; each additional report, if correct, will be positively evaluated (up to +2/30) for the final mark

2 . written test (numerical exercises: geodesy, cartography, models, uncertainty, position estimation)
valid for all and only the exam sessions of this academic year 2024-2025 (last: February 2026 for regular students, March/April 2026 for late students)
consists of two parts (1st part: geodesy, cartography; 2nd part: models, uncertainty, position estimation), both of which must be sufficient
the final grade of the written exam is the average of the grades of the two parts
the positive evaluation of the written exam allows access to the oral exam and expires after three oral exams taken with negative results

3 . oral exam (measurement tools and methods, exercises)
can be taken in a session other than written test, provided that ALL the preparatory courses have been passed
consists of two questions: measurement tools and methods, exercises

Final grade - average of the final grade of the written and oral exams

Examples of previous exams are available at webpage:
https://sites.google.com/a/uniroma1.it/mattiacrespi-eng/teaching/geomatics-and-geoinformation/teaching-material?authuser=0