Gianvittorio RIZZANO | LABORATORY OF MECHANICS OF SOIL AND STRUCTURES

cod. 0612900020

LABORATORY OF MECHANICS OF SOIL AND STRUCTURES

	0612900020
	DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
	EQF6
	SC L-P01 TECHNIQUES FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
	2025/2026

PERCORSO SHARED STUDY PATHWAY

	OBBLIGATORIO
	YEAR OF COURSE 3
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2023
	AUTUMN SEMESTER

TEACHING UNITS

	SSD	CFU	HOURS	ACTIVITY	TYPE OF ACTIVITY
	NN	12	120	LAB	VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

PROFESSORS

	GIANVITTORIO RIZZANO T Curriculum
	LUCIANO FEO Curriculum
	MARIA CLORINDA MANDAGLIO Curriculum
	SETTIMIO FERLISI Curriculum

	Objectives
	THE COURSE AIMS TO PROVIDE THE BASIC THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ELEMENTS RELATING TO LABORATORY TESTS ON MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES AND THOSE RELATING TO CONVENTIONAL GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY TESTS, AS WELL AS THE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS OBTAINED, THE COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS WITH THE EXPECTED THEORETICAL ONES, THE DRAFTING OF SUMMARY REPORTS ACCOMPANIED BY GRAPHS AND TABLES. THE STUDENT: - WILL KNOW THE THEORETICAL ELEMENTS OF EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS UNDERLYING THE OPERATING PRINCIPLES OF MACHINES AND INSTRUMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT CONVENTIONAL LABORATORY TESTS, BOTH STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL, THE PROCEDURES FOR CARRYING THEM OUT, FOR DATA ACQUISITION, AS WELL AS THE METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MATERIALS AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS INVESTIGATED. THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO: - ANALYZE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM OF STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE MOST SUITABLE LABORATORY EXPERIMENTATION PLAN. - CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE LIMITS AND POTENTIAL OF CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY TESTS. - WORK IN GROUPS AND ORALLY PRESENT TOPICS OF STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING RELATED TO LABORATORY EXPERIMENTATION; - REPRESENT AND COMMUNICATE, THROUGH TEXTS OR VIRTUAL TOOLS, RESULTS OF RESEARCH OR OWN ELABORATIONS. - USE TRADITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHIC TOOLS AND IT RESOURCES FOR DATA ANALYSIS AND ARCHIVING; - APPLY TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE TO CASE STUDIES, ENHANCING THE METHODOLOGIES ACQUIRED FOR THE CHOICE OF THE MOST APPROPRIATE LABORATORY EXPERIMENTAL TESTS, EVEN DIFFERENT FROM THOSE COVERED DURING THE COURSE; - PROCEED TO THE CONTINUOUS UPDATING OF ONE'S KNOWLEDGE, USING TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE.

THE COURSE AIMS TO PROVIDE THE BASIC THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ELEMENTS RELATING TO LABORATORY TESTS ON MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES AND THOSE RELATING TO CONVENTIONAL GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY TESTS, AS WELL AS THE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS OBTAINED, THE COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS WITH THE EXPECTED THEORETICAL ONES, THE DRAFTING OF SUMMARY REPORTS ACCOMPANIED BY GRAPHS AND TABLES.
THE STUDENT:
- WILL KNOW THE THEORETICAL ELEMENTS OF EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS UNDERLYING THE OPERATING PRINCIPLES OF MACHINES AND INSTRUMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT CONVENTIONAL LABORATORY TESTS, BOTH STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL, THE PROCEDURES FOR CARRYING THEM OUT, FOR DATA ACQUISITION, AS WELL AS THE METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MATERIALS AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS INVESTIGATED.
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO:
- ANALYZE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM OF STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE MOST SUITABLE LABORATORY EXPERIMENTATION PLAN.
- CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE LIMITS AND POTENTIAL OF CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY TESTS.
- WORK IN GROUPS AND ORALLY PRESENT TOPICS OF STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING RELATED TO LABORATORY EXPERIMENTATION;
- REPRESENT AND COMMUNICATE, THROUGH TEXTS OR VIRTUAL TOOLS, RESULTS OF RESEARCH OR OWN ELABORATIONS.
- USE TRADITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHIC TOOLS AND IT RESOURCES FOR DATA ANALYSIS AND ARCHIVING;
- APPLY TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE TO CASE STUDIES, ENHANCING THE METHODOLOGIES ACQUIRED FOR THE CHOICE OF THE MOST APPROPRIATE LABORATORY EXPERIMENTAL TESTS, EVEN DIFFERENT FROM THOSE COVERED DURING THE COURSE;
- PROCEED TO THE CONTINUOUS UPDATING OF ONE'S KNOWLEDGE, USING TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE.

	Prerequisites
	A PREREQUISITE IS THE COURSES OF "SCIENZA DELLE COSTRUZIONI" AND TECNICA DELLE COSTRUZIONI" AND THE KNOWELDGES OF TESTS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS AND OF THE PRINCIPLE OF EFFECTIVE STRESSES.

	Contents
	THE COURSE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING CONTENTS: - THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS: CODE PROVISIONS, HISTORICAL-CRITICAL ANALYSIS, IN-SITU INVESTIGATIONS, SAMPLE EXTRACTION, LABORATORY TESTS, DIAGNOSIS. (LESSONS: 3H) - IN-SITU TESTS ON CONCRETE: ROCKER TESTS, ULTRASONIC INVESTIGATIONS, COMBINED METHODS, DETERMINATION OF CORROSION POTENTIAL. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 6H) - SEMI-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON CONCRETE: CORE DRILLING AND MICRO-CORE DRILLING. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 3H) - NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON METAL REINFORCEMENTS: RADAR INVESTIGATIONS, PACOMETRIC INVESTIGATIONS. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 3H) - SEMI-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON METAL REINFORCEMENTS: REINFORCEMENT BAR SAMPLING. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 2H) - SEMI-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON MASONRY: FLAT JACKS WITH SINGLE AND DOUBLE JACK (LESSONS: 2H - LABORATORY: 3H) - STRUCTURAL MONITORING: INTRODUCTION, CLASSIFICATIONS AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK (THEORY: 3H) - PRELIMINARY PHASES FOR THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF A MONITORING PLAN (THEORY: 2H; EXERCISE: 1H) - STATIC MONITORING OF STRUCTURES: PROGRAMMED CHECKS AND EVENT CHECKS IN THE CASE OF BUILDINGS AND BRIDGES; INSTRUMENTS USED; CASE STUDY ANALYSIS (THEORY: 3H; EXERCISE: 6H) - DYNAMIC MONITORING OF STRUCTURES AND “STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING (SHM)”: INSTRUMENTATION AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES; DYNAMIC MONITORING OF BUILDINGS AND BRIDGES; ANALYSIS OF A CASE STUDY; USE OF DYNAMIC MONITORING IN THE EVALUATION OF HUMAN-DRIVEN EFFECTS - EX. VEHICLE AND RAILWAY TRAFFIC - (THEORY: 5H; EXERCISE: 4H; LABORATORY: 2H) - MONITORING OF BUILDINGS WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: INTRODUCTION TO NAMATERIALS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES AND USE IN “SHM”; RECENT APPLICATIONS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS (THEORY: 3H, EXERCISE: 1H) - DESIGN, ANALYSIS AND CONSTRUCTION OF A 1:2 SCALE REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM; EXECUTION OF STEEL PREQUALIFICATION TESTS, MIX DESIGN, ABRAMS CONE TEST, CONCRETE CREATION AND CASTING, TESTS ON HARDENED CONCRETE SAMPLES, FOUR-POINT TEST AT FAILURE OF THE BEAM WITH ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST CRACKING MOMENT, DEFLECTIONS, ULTIMATE LOAD AND CRACK FRAME (EXERCISE: 5H, LABORATORY: 15 H) - DRAINED AND UNDRAINED SOIL STRESS CONDITIONS (2 HOURS OF LESSONS); - GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY TESTS FOR THE MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SOILS IN CONDITIONS FAR FROM FAILURE (4 HOURS OF LESSONS, 8 HOURS OF EXERCISES) AND AT FAILURE (10 HOURS OF LESSONS, 16 HOURS OF LABORATORY).

Contents

THE COURSE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING CONTENTS:
- THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS: CODE PROVISIONS, HISTORICAL-CRITICAL ANALYSIS, IN-SITU INVESTIGATIONS, SAMPLE EXTRACTION, LABORATORY TESTS, DIAGNOSIS. (LESSONS: 3H)
- IN-SITU TESTS ON CONCRETE: ROCKER TESTS, ULTRASONIC INVESTIGATIONS, COMBINED METHODS, DETERMINATION OF CORROSION POTENTIAL. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 6H)
- SEMI-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON CONCRETE: CORE DRILLING AND MICRO-CORE DRILLING. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 3H)
- NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON METAL REINFORCEMENTS: RADAR INVESTIGATIONS, PACOMETRIC INVESTIGATIONS. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 3H)
- SEMI-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON METAL REINFORCEMENTS: REINFORCEMENT BAR SAMPLING. (LESSONS: 2H – LABORATORY: 2H)
- SEMI-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS ON MASONRY: FLAT JACKS WITH SINGLE AND DOUBLE JACK (LESSONS: 2H - LABORATORY: 3H)
- STRUCTURAL MONITORING: INTRODUCTION, CLASSIFICATIONS AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK (THEORY: 3H)
- PRELIMINARY PHASES FOR THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF A MONITORING PLAN (THEORY: 2H; EXERCISE: 1H)
- STATIC MONITORING OF STRUCTURES: PROGRAMMED CHECKS AND EVENT CHECKS IN THE CASE OF BUILDINGS AND BRIDGES; INSTRUMENTS USED; CASE STUDY ANALYSIS (THEORY: 3H; EXERCISE: 6H)
- DYNAMIC MONITORING OF STRUCTURES AND “STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING (SHM)”: INSTRUMENTATION AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES; DYNAMIC MONITORING OF BUILDINGS AND BRIDGES; ANALYSIS OF A CASE STUDY; USE OF DYNAMIC MONITORING IN THE EVALUATION OF HUMAN-DRIVEN EFFECTS - EX. VEHICLE AND RAILWAY TRAFFIC - (THEORY: 5H; EXERCISE: 4H; LABORATORY: 2H)
- MONITORING OF BUILDINGS WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: INTRODUCTION TO NAMATERIALS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES AND USE IN “SHM”; RECENT APPLICATIONS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS (THEORY: 3H, EXERCISE: 1H)
- DESIGN, ANALYSIS AND CONSTRUCTION OF A 1:2 SCALE REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM; EXECUTION OF STEEL PREQUALIFICATION TESTS, MIX DESIGN, ABRAMS CONE TEST, CONCRETE CREATION AND CASTING, TESTS ON HARDENED CONCRETE SAMPLES, FOUR-POINT TEST AT FAILURE OF THE BEAM WITH ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST CRACKING MOMENT, DEFLECTIONS, ULTIMATE LOAD AND CRACK FRAME (EXERCISE: 5H, LABORATORY: 15 H)
- DRAINED AND UNDRAINED SOIL STRESS CONDITIONS (2 HOURS OF LESSONS);
- GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY TESTS FOR THE MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SOILS IN CONDITIONS FAR FROM FAILURE (4 HOURS OF LESSONS, 8 HOURS OF EXERCISES) AND AT FAILURE (10 HOURS OF LESSONS, 16 HOURS OF LABORATORY).

	Teaching Methods
	THE COURSE INCLUDES 45 H THEORETICAL LESSONS, 25 H EXERCISES AND 50 H LABORATORY ACTIVITIES. THE THEORETICAL LESSONS ARE ORGANIZED AND CARRIED OUT IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ALLOW THE STUDENT TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC THAT GOVERNS THE CORRECT EXECUTION OF LABORATORY TESTS. LABORATORY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE EXECUTION OF CONVENTIONAL TESTS ON MATERIALS, STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, STRUCTURES AND SOIL SAMPLES, AS WELL AS THE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE SAME RETURNED IN THE FORM OF TABLES AND GRAPHS. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY AND ACCESS TO THE EXAM REQUIRES ATTENDANCE OF AT LEAST 70% OF THE HOURS OF LESSONS AND EXERCISES.

Teaching Methods

THE COURSE INCLUDES 45 H THEORETICAL LESSONS, 25 H EXERCISES AND 50 H LABORATORY ACTIVITIES. THE THEORETICAL LESSONS ARE ORGANIZED AND CARRIED OUT IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ALLOW THE STUDENT TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC THAT GOVERNS THE CORRECT EXECUTION OF LABORATORY TESTS. LABORATORY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE EXECUTION OF CONVENTIONAL TESTS ON MATERIALS, STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, STRUCTURES AND SOIL SAMPLES, AS WELL AS THE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE SAME RETURNED IN THE FORM OF TABLES AND GRAPHS.
ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY AND ACCESS TO THE EXAM REQUIRES ATTENDANCE OF AT LEAST 70% OF THE HOURS OF LESSONS AND EXERCISES.

	Verification of learning
	THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES SET WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH AN ORAL INTERVIEW SCHEDULED AT THE END OF THE COURSE. THIS INTERVIEW (LASTING APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR) USUALLY INCLUDES THREE QUESTIONS ON THE THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ASPECTS ADDRESSED IN THE COURSE. THIS INTERVIEW IS AIMED AT VERIFYING - ON THE BASIS OF THE RELEVANCE AND EXHAUSTIVENESS OF THE ANSWERS GIVEN - THE LEVEL OF DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE, THE ABILITY TO CONNECT THE TOPICS, THE SKILLS OF CLARITY AND CRITICAL SYNTHESIS POSSESSED BY THE STUDENT. THE MINIMUM SCORE (18) IS AWARDED WHEN THE STUDENT HAS A FRAGMENTARY KNOWLEDGE OF THE THEORETICAL CONTENTS AND SHOWS A MODEST ABILITY TO APPLY THE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE TO PRACTICAL CASES; THE MAXIMUM SCORE (30) IS AWARDED WHEN THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATES A COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF THE THEORETICAL CONTENTS AND SHOWS A NOTABLE ABILITY TO CONNECT THE DIFFERENT TOPICS OF THE COURSE, ENHANCING IT IN THE RESOLUTION OF APPLICATION PROBLEMS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF HONORS, FULL SATISFACTION OF ALL THE REQUIREMENTS INDICATED ABOVE WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

Verification of learning

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES SET WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH AN ORAL INTERVIEW SCHEDULED AT THE END OF THE COURSE. THIS INTERVIEW (LASTING APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR) USUALLY INCLUDES THREE QUESTIONS ON THE THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ASPECTS ADDRESSED IN THE COURSE. THIS INTERVIEW IS AIMED AT VERIFYING - ON THE BASIS OF THE RELEVANCE AND EXHAUSTIVENESS OF THE ANSWERS GIVEN - THE LEVEL OF DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE, THE ABILITY TO CONNECT THE TOPICS, THE SKILLS OF CLARITY AND CRITICAL SYNTHESIS POSSESSED BY THE STUDENT.
THE MINIMUM SCORE (18) IS AWARDED WHEN THE STUDENT HAS A FRAGMENTARY KNOWLEDGE OF THE THEORETICAL CONTENTS AND SHOWS A MODEST ABILITY TO APPLY THE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE TO PRACTICAL CASES; THE MAXIMUM SCORE (30) IS AWARDED WHEN THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATES A COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF THE THEORETICAL CONTENTS AND SHOWS A NOTABLE ABILITY TO CONNECT THE DIFFERENT TOPICS OF THE COURSE, ENHANCING IT IN THE RESOLUTION OF APPLICATION PROBLEMS.
FOR THE PURPOSES OF HONORS, FULL SATISFACTION OF ALL THE REQUIREMENTS INDICATED ABOVE WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

	Texts
	- A. BRAY, V. VICENTINI, EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS. LEVROTTO E BELLA PUBLISHING HOUSE, 1975. - L. FEO, R. PENNA, NOTES ON EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS OF MATERIALS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING, SINAPSE EDITIONS, 2022. - R. PUCINOTTI, PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSTICS, STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATIONS. DARIO FLACCOVIO PUBLISHING HOUSE, 2020. - NOTES AND HANDOUTS PREPARED BY THE TEACHERS AND PROVIDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE AND AT THE END OF THE LESSONS VIA EMAIL AND ON A VIRTUAL PLATFORM.

Texts

- A. BRAY, V. VICENTINI, EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS. LEVROTTO E BELLA PUBLISHING HOUSE, 1975.
- L. FEO, R. PENNA, NOTES ON EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS OF MATERIALS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING, SINAPSE EDITIONS, 2022.
- R. PUCINOTTI, PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSTICS, STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATIONS. DARIO FLACCOVIO PUBLISHING HOUSE, 2020.
- NOTES AND HANDOUTS PREPARED BY THE TEACHERS AND PROVIDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE AND AT THE END OF THE LESSONS VIA EMAIL AND ON A VIRTUAL PLATFORM.

	More Information
	TEACHING LANGUAGE: ITALIAN. LOCATION AND TIMETABLE: THE COURSE IS DELIVERED AT THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING. PLEASE CONSULT THE FACULTY WEBSITE (HTTP://WWW.INGEGNERIA.UNISA.IT/) FOR THE INDICATION OF THE TIMETABLE AND CLASSROOMS.

Lessons Timetable

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Gianvittorio RIZZANO | LABORATORY OF MECHANICS OF SOIL AND STRUCTURES