Aerogels are emerging as one of the most intriguing and promising groups of microporous materials, characterized by impressive properties such as low density, high surface area, high porosity and tunable surface chemistry. Fostering unique thermal and acoustic insulation features, for several decades they mainly received attention from the aerospace and building sectors. More recently, new great opportunities...

In mature oilfields, decommissioned oil and gas wells with depths reaching approximately 5000-6000 metres represent good candidate structures for geothermal heat exploitation, as they can provide useful access to subsurface geothermal energy resources. Comprehending the possibility to economically harness geothermal energy by means of coaxial WBHEs is bound to the main features of the physical model,...

This paper presents a quick and multiparametric method for shallow landslides susceptibility and hazard zoning, based on the principles of the Rock Engineering System (RES). The implementation of this methodology is achieved through the identification of the most sensitive triggering parameters and the study of their interrelationships. An interaction matrix is used to define a susceptibility index. The...

Nanoremediation technologies are based on the injection of reactive nanomaterials into the subsurface to promote in situ degradation of the pollutants. At present, it appears as a valid and very promising alternative to traditional and already established remediation technologies, such as Pump&Treat, In-Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO), air sparging and permeable reactive barriers. Due to their small size, nanoparticles (e.g. nanoscale zerovalent iron) presents a high reactivity and can be exploited to generate a reactive zone to treat a wide...

Stone weathering is strongly controlled by the intrinsic properties of the stone and by its use. Previous studies demonstrate that the response to natural or artificial ageing processes of the rocks seems to be strongly influenced by the pore structure of the stone. A better understanding of this phenomenon is provided by the study and characterization of porosity and of the pore structure at different...