Geotechnical Aspects in the Assessment of Stability Conditions of the Volumni Hypogeum in Perugia

Cecconi, Manuela; Vecchietti, Alessia; Pane, Vincenzo; Russo, Giacomo; Cencetti, Corrado

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-21359-6_14

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…where n i , e and s i represent respectively the number of spherical particles per unit sample mass, the voids ratio and suction (which is related to pore diameter d i ). The quantity T w is the surface tension of water (T w = 7.27 × 10 −2 N/m at 20 • C), while α is a constant parameter, generally larger than unity (1.38); the value of parameter α is comparable with the one evaluated for other typical pyroclastic weak rocks and coarse-grained soils of Central Italy [16,17]. The resulting soil water retention curve is reported in Figure 4.…”

Section: Physical Properties Of Raw Samplesmentioning

confidence: 89%

Sustainable Improvement of Zeolitic Pyroclastic Soils for the Preservation of Historical Sites

Cecconi

Cambi

Carrisi³

et al. 2020

Applied Sciences

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Climate changes are inducing a modification of environmental loads on historical sites, requiring new actions towards their conservation. In the paper, the results of an experimental work on sustainable improvement of a pyroclastic soil belonging to the Orvieto cliff (Central Italy) have been investigated in the perspective of its preservation from degradation. The slightly coherent facies of Orvieto Ignimbrite (pozzolana) was treated with hydrated lime and the subsequent chemo-physical evolution was investigated by means of a multi-scale analysis. The beneficial effects obtained from the improvement in terms of mechanical behaviour were interpreted and correlated to the chemo-physical evolution of the system. Microstructural analyses, X-ray diffractometry, thermo-gravimetric analyses (DTG), SEM observations, mercury intrusion porosimetry performed on raw and treated samples, showed that the pozzolanic reactions develop since the very beginning in the system and that the observed mechanical improvement of the treated soil is mainly due to the formation of calcium silicate hydrates (CSH) and calcium aluminate hydrates (CAH). In the paper, the mechanical improvement is put in evidence by comparing the results of oedometer tests performed on both raw and treated samples.

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Section: Physical Properties Of Raw Samplesmentioning

confidence: 89%

Sustainable Improvement of Zeolitic Pyroclastic Soils for the Preservation of Historical Sites

Cecconi

Cambi

Carrisi³

et al. 2020

Applied Sciences

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“…At the Volumni Hypogeum site, the near-vertical walls and ceilings of the cavity do not seem to suggest evidence of instability, reasonably due to the concurrent effect of grain cementation and suction induced by partially-saturated conditions. In a previous study [1], simplified 2-D stress/strain FEM (Finite Element Method) analyses, taking into account the unsaturated conditions of the soil mass, were carried out in order to get a preliminary insight of the stability conditions of the area. According to these analyses, the most vulnerable elements of the cavity were found to be the roof top and the lateral walls, possibly prone to soil instability if the soil suction was reduced to 50 kPa.…”

Section: Monitoring Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the present study, a preliminary assessment of the environmental and geotechnical properties affecting the behaviour of the historic and monumental cavity of the Volumni Hypogeum sited in Perugia (Central Italy) has been performed. It has been shown [1] that one of the relevant parameters governing the stability of the monument is the suction of the soil mass, and therefore the need to maintain this condition over time is a priority for the conservation of the monument itself. Given the peculiarity of the problem at hand, the contribution of geotechnical engineering to the preservation of the site is considered fundamental and unavoidable.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring activities for the preservation of an Etruscan hypogeum in unsaturated soil mass

et al. 2023

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A geotechnical monitoring campaign and a site investigation have been recently planned and undertaken aiming at the preservation and protection of the “Palazzone” Etruscan necropolis, an archaeological site dated back to Hellenistic period located 4 km from the city of Perugia, along the southeastern margin of the hill where the town is settled. The site includes some beautiful and monumental cavities, among them, the Volumni Hypogeum. The majority of the graves are underground cavities excavated in partially saturated alluvial soil deposits. Their inspection reveals the geological features and the depositional structures. The groundwater table is located about 35 m below the ground surface. Due to the difficulties of soil-sampling inside the ancient cavities, only limited portions of the material were retrieved for conventional laboratory tests, although not enough for a geotechnical characterization. On the other hand, XRD analyses and MIP tests were performed. The obtained results allowed to recognize the relevant contribution of soil suction to the stability conditions of the lateral walls and the ceiling of the cavities, which is complementary to the weak cementation characterizing the soil mass. This important information supports the conservation strategy of the monument, which has as its primary tool the monitoring of environmental conditions, aimed at maintaining the unsaturated conditions of the soil mass.

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“…In the following, α is assumed to be constant, as consistent with the one evaluated for other typical pyroclastic weak rocks and the coarse-grained soils of Central Italy [33,34]. The Arya and Paris model was applied to two layers of the considered stratigraphic succession, namely to the black scoriae (BS) and grey pumices (GP), which form the interface of interest for the possible formation of a capillary barrier during an infiltration process.…”

Section: Water Retention Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capillary Barriers during Rainfall Events in Pyroclastic Deposits of the Vesuvian Area

et al. 2021

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In the present paper, the capillary barrier formation at the interface between soil layers, which is characterized by textural discontinuities, has been analyzed. This mechanism has been investigated by means of a finite element model of a two-layer soil stratification. The two considered formations, belonging to the pyroclastic succession of the “Pomici di Base” Plinian eruption (22 ka, Santacroce et al., 2008) of the Somma–Vesuvius volcano, are affected by shallow instability phenomena likely caused by progressive saturation during the rainfall events. This mechanism could be compatible with the formation of capillary barriers at the interface between layers of different grain size distributions during infiltration. One-dimensional infiltration into the stratified soil was parametrically simulated considering rainfall events of increasing intensity and duration. The variations in the suction and degree of saturation over time allowed for the evaluation of stability variations in the layers, which were assumed as part of stratified unsaturated infinite slopes.

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Geotechnical Aspects in the Assessment of Stability Conditions of the Volumni Hypogeum in Perugia

Cited by 4 publications

References 11 publications

Sustainable Improvement of Zeolitic Pyroclastic Soils for the Preservation of Historical Sites

Sustainable Improvement of Zeolitic Pyroclastic Soils for the Preservation of Historical Sites

Monitoring activities for the preservation of an Etruscan hypogeum in unsaturated soil mass

Capillary Barriers during Rainfall Events in Pyroclastic Deposits of the Vesuvian Area

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