Diego Barbero

Geological, Geotechnical and Geophysical Office of Dr Diego Barbero

The Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) is a useful tool to define not only the shallow subsurface stratigraphy of complex geological area involved by landslides, but also to locate in clay soils underground water seepage. In active landslides, the identification of layers of saturated clays in slopes forming the sliding surface is of primary...

The present document is the first paper of a serial of studies ongoing in geotechnical laboratory testing and in situ testing of marine sediments in the southern Italy coastal area. For this first stage, Undrained triaxial compression tests with anisotropic consolidation (CK0U) have been performed on marine sediments collected in boreholes carried...

La gestione post-mortem di una discarica, presso la quale sono stati conferiti rifiuti solidi urbani o non pericolosi, prevede innanzitutto la realizzazione in uno strato di copertura superficiale (capping) che prevenga l’ingresso di acqua meteorica verso il corpo rifiuti, con l’obiettivo primario di ridurre la formazione di percolato e di consegue...

The comprehensive study of the stability of ravines includes various aspects to be considered. One of them, interesting in this case, is the characterization of the morphology of the slopes, which due to their high inclination, presence of vegetation and irregularity in the surface, making it difficult to achieve this objective. In the present stud...

Topographic and photogrametric techniques applied to the study of the morphology of ravines in Campana city, Buenos Aires, Argentina

We report on an application of a methodology for inferring water transfer in a shallow aquifer by using analytical models of interpretation of heat transport by advection and conduction in permeable horizons. In this research, we highlight as the statistical interpretation of thermal data is a tool to obtain a quantitative estimation of the horizon...

An integrated approach with seismic refraction survey first and geotechnical in situ and laboratory tests then, for building consolidation due to settlements is here reported. The aim of the study is: i) to highlight the importance of geophysical survey to detect the presence of unconsolidated lenses of soil beneath the building foundation; ii) to...

This paper establish the beginning of a research process regarding the behavior of soils stabilized with lime. Generally, the geotechnical practice of soils stabilized with lime requires a first step conducted in the laboratory, to attest the features of “natural soils” in order to improve their behavior in term of geotechnical performance and,...

In the geotechnical practice, the stabilization of soil using cement is a necessary procedure when soils do not meet the geotechnical requirements i.e. they show low bearing capacity so it’s necessary to improve their engineering properties generally adding lime or cement, or moisture of lime and cement. The aim of this research focuses on the desc...

Lime-stabilization is a vital process in Roads Engineering, improving soils parameters and conditions. In this way, the scope of this paper is to detail the results of test carried on two A-4 soils, stabilized with lime, and get conclusion for local use and general concepts. Over these two samples, was carried out CBR test, swelling test, unconfine...

This study analyses the temperature distribution underneath the Piedmont Po Plain (NW Italy), where an important shallow aquifer exists due to fluvial and outwash deposits. A total of 118 thermal logs, for a total of 513 temperature measurements in spring 2008 and 585 in autumn 2008, were used to propose the conceptual thermal model of the vertical...

Hydraulic conductivity is a fundamental hydrogeological parameter for the testing of waterproofing barriers of landfill tanks. These barriers are aimed at guaranteeing the isolation of the waste and preventing the infiltration of the percolate in the subsoil. Geotechnical features of mineral barriers must be preliminarily established through geotec...

We report on experimental results conducted on "clay and bentonite" mixtures for the waterproofing of a tank landfill located in Northwestern Piedmont Region (NW Italy). The geotechnical experimental tests on "clay and bentonite" mixtures were conducted in the laboratory first, with the aim of finding the optimum percentage of granular bentonite to...

A 3-year high-resolution monitoring of shallow subsurface temperature (unsaturated and saturated zones) was performed in the experimental site of Mezzi Po (Po River plain, NW Italy) to investigate the thermal behaviour of subsurface and the dependency with the atmospheric (air) temperature. The unsaturated zone of the test site is mainly constitute...

In March 2015, exceptional meteoric events occurred in southern Piedmont caused a remarkable rise of the rivers water level of the Tanaro Basin with flooding and many landslides. The engineering geological study reported here, concerns a triggering of a previous landslide occurred in 1982 in the hills, shaped in the marine sedimentary succession (L...

In granular soils, due to the inability to collect undisturbed samples of soil for geotechnical laboratory tests or the impracticality of carrying out dynamic penetration tests, highlights the necessity to find a useful approach in the engineering geological practice for the determination of bearing capacity. In these soils, the determination of be...

The passive seismic technique HVSR (Horizontal to Vertical Spectra Ratio) shows a large diffusion in the engineering geology as non invasive, fast and low-cost underground explorative tool. This technique is largely used in seismic microzoning applications to estimate the shear wave velocity (Vs30 parameter, see Castellaro et al., 2009, now Vs,eq a...

Nell'ambito del progetto di riqualificazione di un'area dismessa, specie se situata in un contesto industriale, è importante effettuare una caratterizzazione geologica di dettaglio sia per escludere problematiche ambientali di inquinamento di suoli e delle acque sotterranee, sia per individuare oggetti sepolti e, laddove necessario, intervenire suc...

Various conceptual models are available about heat transfer in the shallow subsurface depending on the geological contexts. These models are supported by analytical solutions in order to determine the hydro-physical and thermodynamic parameters of the aquifers. This study of underground thermal data was conducted by means of aquifer thermal profile...

The groundwater flow velocity is a significant parameter to estimate the time of recharge of deep aquifers for drinking water supply. In recharge areas, temperature profiles measured along the water column in boreholes show a typical pattern: concave upward, because the seepage of cooler water causes an anomalous low gradient, and elongated in dept...

Underground temperature data in the northern sector of a regional transpressive shear zone, referred as the Torrente Traversola Deformation Zone and located in Piedmont hilly region (northwestern Italy), were collected in two boreholes (S17 and S20). Stratigraphy of S17 consists of massive gypsum (from the ground level up to 50 m depth) and fractur...

This study investigated the thermal regime of shallow groundwater in the Turin area (NW Italy), where the large energy demand has driven a new interest for ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs). The strongest vertical variability of groundwater temperature is found within 10-20 m below ground surface. In spring, deeper temperatures are higher than shall...

Lo sviluppo di modelli di indagine geofisica per immagini consente di elaborare modelli geologici del sottosuolo sempre più realistici. L’utilizzo di tali modelli sviluppati a partire da metodi geofisici mono-parametrici (un unico parametro fisico) non consente di poter tradurre il modello geofisico in un modello geologico del sottosuolo attendibil...

Misure geofisiche indirette, quali resistività elettrica e polarizzazione indotta, associate a indagini geognostiche (scavi geognostici e prove di permeabilità in situ e in laboratorio), rappresentano un valido strumento per la caratterizzazione geologica e idrogeologica del materiale di copertura di vasche di discariche. Lo studio in esame riguar...

An example of characterization of a tectonic zone by using underground temperature measurements is presented. A tectonic discontinuity, located in NW Italy, was investigated by precision temperature measurements by means of the analysis of thermal data recorded in a monitoring well along the northern part of Torrente Traversola Deformation Zone. Mo...

Logs termici di precisione in piezometri, associati a indagini geologico-strutturali e idrogeologiche, si rivelano un valido strumento diagnostico sia per il riconoscimento di zone fratturate o interessate da importanti discontinuità tettoniche sepolte, in quanto la circolazione di fluidi in mezzi porosi può significativamente alterarne il regime t...

The large energy demand for heating and cooling of buildings has motivated a new interest for low enthalpy geothermal systems. For this reason shallow groundwater temperatures are nowadays regarded as highly important in Turin area (NW Italy). The area is located in a favourable geological context for geothermal applications: a thick alluvial body,...

The temperature distribution in shallow subsoil (<20 m below ground surface) is influenced by seasonal variations in air temperature and soil thermal conductivity. In addition, the advective heat transport, due to the presence of water flow in an aquifer, and variations of temperature related to rainfall and soil permeability, are expected to play...

This study investigated the thermal regime of shallow groundwater in the Turin area (NW Italy), where the large energy demand has motivated a new interest for renewable sources, such as the use of ground-source heat pumps for domestic heating and cooling. The vertical variability of the groundwater temperature between the ground surface and 10–20 m...

The study of groundwater flow largely benefits of numerical modeling aimed at searching a more sustainable exploitation of water resources based on the knowledge of the lithostratigraphic setting and information on the aquifer geometry and dynamics from well data (e.g. Lasagna et al., 2014). Continuous monitoring of holes often characterizing well...

We propose a statistical approach to the study of subsoil thermal data in order to find an equation able to describe the temperature distribution in the underground of the Piedmont plain sectors (NW Italy). The analytical model here proposed, can be used during the preliminary stage of investigation for the exploitation of subsoil by means of low e...

The aim of this study is the evaluation of groundwater vertical velocity from thermal data in aquifer recharge areas. More specifically a particular solution of differential heat equation able to determine the groundwater velocity was applied. The vertical component of the velocity is an important parameter to estimate the time of the aquifer recha...

This work analyses the thermal trend of the shallow aquifer in the Piedmont Region with a specific focus on Turin town and its Province, one of the biggest urbanized areas of NW Italy. The dataset consists in two surveys of thermal logs. The first survey was carried out in 2008 on 100 observation points of the whole Piedmont Region territory. The s...

We propose a statistical method to study the temperature distribution in the shallow aquifer of Turin area and its hinterland. The temperature data were collected in piezometers by probing sensor with ±0.1 degree Celsius sensibility. These piezometers are developed in the shallow aquifer, consisting of Quaternary fluvial deposits (gravel and sandy...

Aquifers can be divided into two different parts, according to the water temperature profile: a surficial zone and a geothermal zone. In the surficial zone, temperature profile is influenced by seasonal heating and cooling of air and soil. In the geothermal zone, the thermal log is approximately linear, because temperature follows the geothermal gr...

Th e evolution of the geophysical survey techniques allow a more realistic vision of the subsurface. However, the use of only one method of investigation, or of only one physical parameter (such as the electrical resistivity, the velocity of propagation of seismic waves, etc.), can lead to not fully representative interpretation of the geological/g...

A case study of heat transport modeling in the shallow aquifer of the Turin City (NW Italy) with finite-difference computer code is here reported. A detailed geological characterization of the subsoil and the estimation of hydrogeological and thermal features of the shallow aquifer are essential tools in support of heat transport simulations for th...

We report on the results of geological, geotechnical and geophysical surveys for the characterization of a landslide, occurred in the Asti Reliefs (NW Italy) during the first ten days of March 2011, just after an exceptional meteoric event. The investigated landslide is located in San Damiano d'Asti (15 km E of Asti) and involved a hilly side, gent...

The N-S trending T. Traversola Deformation Zone (TTDZ), developing on the western edge of the Asti Reliefs, represents one of the most relevant geological features of the Piedmont hilly area, in northwestern Italy. Morphologically this deformation zone corresponds to an evident scarp with, a rectilinear trend in map view, an height up to a hundred...

We propose a technique for the determination of main hydrogeological parameters and characterization of groundwater flow from thermal logs. This information is essential for the reconstruction of the water circulation path in the potential geothermal reservoirs. Thermal profiles are generally analyzed to infer information on the terrestrial heat fl...

The research was performed in order to evaluate the different geological aspects that contributed to the landslides genesis through the importance of the stratigraphic and structural features in the prediction and mitigation of landslides. This study was conducted using a detailed stratigraphic and structural geological surveys near Aguggia (San Da...

Interest in the sedimentary succession in the Asti Reliefs fostered research since the beginning of the science of geology, before the designation by Pareto (1865) of the " Piano Villafranchiano " and its type area at Villafranca d'Asti. The villafranchian sediments have been the subject of many recent investigations, which focused largely on the p...

Estimating the vertical component of groundwater velocity from thermal profi les in aquifer recharge areas: an application to the Lanzo Fan, North Western Piedmont. We report on an application of an analytical method to determine the groundwater velocity in aquifer recharge areas. Th e methodology is based on the analysis of aquifer temperature m...

Lo studio geomorfolog ico dei versanti collinari che delimitano la valle del F. Tanaro nel tratto tra San Mart ino Alfieri e Mongardino mette in luce la presenza di nume rose forme relitte di modellamento fluviale, variamente sospese sui riliev i collinari, che conservano talora gli orig inari depositi fluviali limosi. Le analisi tessiturali di cam...

La Zona di deformazione del T. Traversola, che si sviluppa con direzione N-S al margine occidentale dell'area Astigiana interessando la successione sedimentaria villafranchiana, costituisce uno degli elementi geologici più rappresentativi dell'intera area collinare. La sua espressione morfologica corrisponde, infatti, a una evidente scarpata caratt...

We report on a statistical approach to the study of subsoil thermal data in order to establish if the Piedmont plain (NW Italy) is promising for geothermal purposes. The model we developed can be used during the preliminary stage of investigation for the exploitation of subsoil by means of low enthalpy geothermal plants. As an example of our method...

Lucchi, Renata G. ... et. al.-- 87° Congresso della Societa Geologica Italiana e 90° Congresso della Societa Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia, The Future of the Italian Geosciences - The Italian Geosciences of the Future, 10-12 September 2014, Milan, Italy.-- 1 page

riattivazioni distribuite sia nel tempo, in relazione ai principali eventi parossistici che hanno interessato l'area, che nelle modalità e attività. In questa sede è stato proposito di chi scrive rendere evidente un modello, che rinvenendo numerosi riscontri sul territorio, possa aiutare a comprendere e, quindi prevedere, i fenomeni che caratterizz...

A Pleistocene terraced fluvial succession is found on the northern slope of the Torino Hill. This succession consists of many relics of flat surfaces, separated by scarps, often associated with sandy and silty deposits, perched from 30 to 400 m on the Po Plain. Terraced surfaces at high levels are more deformed, dissected and mostly deprived of the...