Among nature-based solutions (NBSs), green walls represent a key technology in the urban context because of the low energy demand and of the many ecological and social outcomes. This work presents the results of the experimental study at laboratory scale of the treatment of greywater (e.g. domestic wastewater excluding toilet flushes) through a green wall. It is made of two modular panels (1-set up for...
The proposal of a simplified hybrid Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical model to investigate poroelastic and thermoelastic stresses induced due to water injection and the different parameters affecting their evolution is presented. The operating mode of the numerical model is starting with a set of implicit fractures, with different adjustable random orientations, then an elastic continuum medium is built, and shear...
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...
This paper concerns the evolution of the quality of the groundwater bodies over space and time, with special focus on nitrate. This case study deals with the qualitative status in alluvial-pyroclastic groundwater bodies located near Naples (southern Italy). The study is based on a significant hydrochemical database, gathered through: (i) groundwater sampling and water level monitoring, (ii) chemical...
The Lombard territory (Italy), characterized by a historical process of industrialization, is affected by significant contamination both of the ground and of the groundwater. The continuous development of urban areas needs to face the problem linked to the growing presence of portions of the territory where there is the presence of contaminated groundwater (mainly chlorinated solvents and hydrocarbons),...
Deep aquifers represent a strategic resource because of their quality, generally better than rivers and shallow aquifers. More specifically, in Piedmont Region (Italy) they represent a key source of drinking water and therefore must be protected from qualitative and quantitative degradation.
In...
The groundwater overexplotation is a worldwide problem and it causes serious consequences such as land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, devastating effects on natural streamflow, groundwater fed wetlands and related ecosystems.
The Maggiore Valley (NW...
Extractive waste (EW) from abandoned mines can pose serious pressure to natural water systems. The harmful effects of EW such as deterioration of water sources by allowing leaching of potentially toxic elements (PTE) into groundwater make it necessary to carry out careful, scientific and comprehensive studies on this subject. The present research used risk analysis approach to study the effect of presence...
Geothermal Energy, being a clean and sustainable source of energy, is gaining importance worldwide due to various reasons. Geothermal power can be generated throughout the year on twenty four hour basis as it’s not much dependent on ambient temperature and weather conditions. Recently there is an increased interest in exploitation of low enthalpy geothermal resources for other applications such as geothermal space heating...
The availability and accessibility of new technologies is also transforming the world of underground construction sites, where applications developed in the mining industry are rapidly spreading.
Many of these have positive repercussions for safety and...
A global overview of the technologies that can be applied for modern tunnelling construction taking into account the OS&H aspects is shortly presented in the paper.
Zandobbio Marble is a crystalline dolomite produced in an open pit quarry near Bergamo, Nord Italy. This ornamental stone was already used during the Roman age. For many years the quarry was inactive, until 2006 when it was re-opened. Local law on quarries requires the elaboration of an exploitation plan: its objective, and in general the objective of the environmental assessment, is to identify areas...
The interaction between tunnels and underground water is a complex topic and it is of great relevance taking into account the environment, the protection of drinkable water and the interference with tunnel construction method. Due to the great importance of the topic, in the following are presented and discussed the most relevant technologies for water management in tunnelling with a specific attention...
The majority of rural areas in developing countries live in a state of chronic emergency, due for the most part to the lack of sanitary assistance and food. Covid-19 aggravates this situation, complicating the action of International Cooperation in these countries. To this extent, the case study of the Nosy Mitsio island (Madagascar) is presented. The partnership between H4O, Kukula and Politecnico di...
The paper provides an overview of the several scientific and technical issues and challenges to be addressed for underground storage of carbon dioxide, hydrogen and mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas. The experience gained on underground energy systems and materials is complemented by new competences to adequately respond to the new needs raised by transition from fossil fuels to renewables. The experimental...
In residential buildings, drinking water is often used for tasks that do not necessarily require high quality water, such as home-garden irrigation. Our research focuses on the idea of harvesting rainwater to promote sustainable management of low-quality water resources on a building scale for irrigation purposes. The effectiveness of a collection system depends on the weather conditions, which determine...
The storage of natural gas in underground geological formations (UGS) has been widely adopted to guarantee a real-time response to the market requests as well as to ensure National “strategic” reserves. In the recent past, the UGS and related technologies have been approached with increasing interest also in terms of CO2 sequestration and of large-scale storage of chemical energy, with the...
Copper and its alloys are nowadays used for many applications required to support energy transition and their market demand is growing. Due to a still limited re-cycling technology is likely that for the next years the request will be mainly covered by the traditional mining of geological deposits or from the reactivation of abandoned mines. The costs of extraction and production of minerals through open-pit...
The Po Plain in northern Italy is a rapidly subsiding sedimentary basin characterized by a complex geological history that created an extensive fold and fault system that hosts numerous underground hydrocarbon reservoirs. The evolution of the basin is not only governed by natural factors but also by anthropogenic factors that affect both the shallower and deeper sedimentary layers. The Emilia-Romagna...
In this paper, we discuss how to describe the geomechanical behavior of geological formations used for underground fluid storage through the application of the Virtual Element Method (VEM) on conforming polyhedral meshes for the solution of stress-strain equilibrium equations. Under the assumption of small deformations, the solution algorithm for an Isotropic Linear Elastic (ILE) constitutive law coupled...