Environmental Engineering

The course is organized in three blocks. For each of them, the relative lessons are reported. The first block aims to recall the basic concepts of Soil Mechanics, Applied Geophysics and Structural Dynamics. These lessons aim both to review and to allow the student to assess his level of preparation and consequently fill any gaps independently. The second block illustrates the basic principles of soil dynamics, with particular reference to the stress-strain relationship of soils under time-varying actions and to the definition of the parameters that describe the stiffness and damping characteristics of soils, from the smallest deformation levels up to failure. The main techniques for measuring the dynamic properties of soils, on site and in the laboratory, are also described. The third block has an explicitly applicative character. The problems of local seismic response and influencing factors, liquefaction phenomena and influencing factors, the analysis of slope stability under seismic conditions and seismic microzonation are dealt with. Finally, some mitigation strategies for seismic geotechnical risk are illustrated. For each of the three aforementioned blocks there are exercises to be carried out in class. Review of Soil Mechanics, Applied Geophysics and Dynamics of Structures Lesson 0. Introduction to the course. Recall of Soil Mechanics. Lesson 1. Elements of seismology. Propagation of seismic waves. Fault types. Magnitude and macroseismic intensity. Representative parameters of seismic motion. Lesson 2. Harmonic motion. Fourier spectrum. Acceleration response spectrum. Lesson 3. Seismic motion attenuation relationships. Fundamentals of Soil Dynamics Lesson 4. The stress-strain behaviour of soil under cyclic loading conditions. Stiffness and damping parameters. Lesson 5. Stiffness and damping parameters at small strain levels. Governing factors for coarse-grained and fine-grained soils. Lesson 6. Stiffness and damping parameters at medium strain levels. Governing factors for coarse-grained and fine-grained soils. Lesson 7. Stiffness and damping parameters at large strain levels up to failure. Governing factors for coarse-grained and fine-grained soils. Liquefaction of saturated coarse-grained soils. Lesson 8. Cyclic and dynamic laboratory equipments. Geophysical tests for the determination of the seismic wave velocities. Applicative topics Lesson 9. Fundamentals of local seismic response. Amplification function. Homogeneous and heterogeneous subsoil Lesson 10. Numerical simulation of the local seismic response. Calculation codes available in the literature. Lesson 11. Seismic input selection for local seismic response analysis. Lesson 12. Simplified procedure for liquefaction analysis. Simplified dynamic methods and advanced dynamic methods. Lesson 13. Slope stability in seismic conditions. Newmark's method. Lesson 14. Seismic Microzonation. Procedure for carrying out level 3 studies and presenting case studies Lesson 15. Strategies for liquefaction risk mitigation.

At the beginning of the teaching activity, the student must have knowledge of Soil Mechanics and Applied Geophysics.

Kramer S. – Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. Ishihara k. Soil Behaviour in Earthquake Geotechnics. Oxford Science Publications Crespellani T., Facciorusso J. – Soil Dynamics for seismic applications. Dario Flaccovio Editore. Lanzo G. – Seismic response analysis: Theory and Experiences Lanzo G. – Slides and Lecture notes

La frequenza è facoltativa ed avviene secondo gli orari e nelle aule stabilite dalla Presidenza. La frequenza, pur caldamente incoraggiata, non contribuisce alla valutazione finale.

The way the exam is conceived allows the assessment of the actual achievement by the student of the educational objectives, in particular on applying knowledge and understanding skills. There will be an oral test on the topics covered during the lessons test. During the exam, the tutorials and the monographic work carried out during the year will also be evaluated and discussed. The student must use appropriate language, demonstrate that he has acquired sufficient knowledge of the topics covered and follow a logical path in solving a question. Given the predominantly oral nature of the exam, its duration can hardly be determined but seldom overcomes 45 min. Some of the elements assessed are: the use of technical language and appropriate terminology; the presentation of the logical path that leads to the resolution of a given question; awareness and mastery of the topics presented.

The teaching method used consists of lectures, with traditional use of the blackboard; some lessons will be held with the use of multimedia supports (slides). At the end of the lesson there will always be a final space reserved for students' questions for clarification. Numerous practical tutorials are also provided, with the aid of the personal computer, to evaluate the students' ability to exploit their knowledge of the topics covered. The preparation of a monographic work, which can also be carried out in a group, relating to a real case study, contributes to the achievement of specific training objectives such as: a) critical and judgmental skills, through the choice of the geotechnical an seismic parameters of interest for the problem under study and relevant for developing the geotechnical-seismic model of the subsoil; b) ability to communicate what has been learned during the lessons and to argue the choices made, both during the reviews and during the exam; c) learning ability with regard to issues that are limitedly treated or not completely treated in the lectures because they are specific to the real case study.