The Laboratory of Applied Geology and Geotechnics of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Resources Science (DiSTAR) is provided with a wide set of equipment for the characterization of physical, index, mechanical and hydraulic properties of soils (ASTM, UNI, etc. standards), both in the saturated and unsaturated domains, as well as for the measurement of properties of intact rocks and rock masses (RMR and Q-system classifications).

Starting from the first contribution by Prof. Giovanni Valentini in 1982, the equipment of the laboratory has been increased progressively in time due to investments carried out by researchers involved in applied-geological researches, belonging to the former Department of Earth Sciences (DST) and currently to DiSTAR. Since 2017, thanks to a funding provided by the CUGRI (University Centre for Great Risks), the laboratory has acquired important equipments consisting, among the most important, in: load test for rocks and concrete with a range up to 3000 kN, equipments for triaxial tests on soils and rocks and equipment for the measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity in rock matrix.

The wide range of characterization tests support geological applied researches for which the reconstruction of an engineering geological or hydrogeological models is needed. Among these are included, for example, those regarding the study of landslide triggering and runout mechanisms, analysis of stability of slopes and cut-slopes, engineering geological problems related to the design of civil engineering works as well as the characterization of soils for the analysis of aquifer systems.

By the Laboratory of Applied Geology and Geotechnics of DiSTAR are also carried out consultancy activities related to all geotechnical and hydraulic tests possible by the available equipments, respecting standards requested by the current standards and technical regulations.

Equipment

For soils, the available equipment allows the measurement of fundamental index properties, included the grain size analysis and consistency limits, and of principal mechanical properties, such as: shear strength, by triaxial compression tests (Tx-CD, Tx-CU e Tx-UU) and direct shear test; compressibility, by oedometric test. For undisturbed soil samples, gathered by a specific sampler, the hydraulic properties of soils are measured: in the saturation domain, by a constant head permeameter that permits the estimation of hydraulic conductivity; in the unsaturated domain, by Pressure Extractor and Tempe Cells (Soil Moisture Inc.) that allow the reconstruction of the Soil Water Retention Curve up to 5 bar and 1 bar, respectively.

The uniaxial compression strength for rocks is estimated by a load machine with a range up to 3000 kN; the shear strength of rocks and rock joints of rock masses are estimated by means of triaxial cell for rocks and by the Hoek’s apparatus, respectively; the joint wall compression strength and roughness are estimated in the field by portable instruments, the Schmidt’s hammer and the Barton’s profilometer respectively.

Research and teaching activity

The activities carried out in the Laboratory of Applied Geology and Geotechnics are principally addressed to researches of PhD thesis and of others executed in the framework of funded national and international projects. Moreover, the laboratory is the reference place for practical activities carried out in the framework of Applied Geology, Hydrogeology, Geotechnical Laboratory and Soil and Rock Mechanics courses belonging to the BSc and MsC. It provide the students the possibility to gain practical skills regarding techniques for physical, mechanical and hydraulic characterizations of geological materials and to develop the experimental part of thesis degrees under the assistance of technical personnel. In addition, in the laboratory are also carried out activity for the education of students attending at high schools in the framework of Piano Lauree Scientifiche (PLS) and Alternanza Scuola Lavoro (ASL) programmes.