Research Laboratories DSTApplied Geology and PedologyTECHNICAL AND GEOMECHANICAL GEOLOGY

TECHNICAL AND GEOMECHANICAL GEOLOGY

Responsible

Nicola Casagli, 0552757523, nicola.casagli@unifi.it

Giovanni Gigli, 0552757561, giovanni.gigli@unifi.it

 

Description of activities

The geotechnical and geomechanical laboratory of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Florence carries out geotechnical tests on undisturbed and reconstructed soil samples, tests for the classification and geomechanical characterization of rock masses and in-situ tests on soils and rocks. 

Laboratory tests on soils are performed to determine their index properties, chemical-physical characteristics and mechanical behavior. In addition, the laboratory is equipped with instruments for in-situ determination of key soil parameters such as shear strength and permeability so that soils can be analyzed in their boundary conditions. 

Geophysical surveys are also carried out for landslides characterization: seismic refraction, microtremor analysis, MASW, 2D and 3D electrical resistivity tomographies, and GPR prospections.

 

Instruments for soil tests:

Triaxial shear apparatus;

Casagrande shear test apparatuses;

Oedometers;

Wissa controlled deformation oedometer with measurement of pore pressures;

Torsional shear apparatus;

Equipment for granulometric analysis (sieving and densimetry);

Equipment for determining index properties and Atterberg limits;

Hydraulic and mechanical extruders.

 

Instruments for rock and lapideous material test:

Uniaxial and triaxial compression test apparatus;

Point Load Index test apparatus;

Schmidt hammers with calibration anvil;

Tilt test apparatus;

Laboratory core drilling machine;

Rock cutting and trimming machine.

 

Instruments for in-situ geotechnical test:

Light dynamic penetrometer (Dynamic Probing DP);

Borehole shear test (BST);

Constant-head permeameter (Amoozemeter);

Piezometers for pore pressures measurement;

Tensiometers for suction measurement;

Inclinometer probes with cabling up to 50 m;

Water level meters with cabling up to 50 m;

Wireless stations for acquiring extensometric and clinometric data.

In-situ geophysical test:

Instrumentation for passive seismic - Engy 3G type tromometers;

Instrumentation for passive seismic - Zero tromometer;

2D-3D ERT instrumentation - Syscal Pro with 72 channels;

Instrumentation for GPR prospections – Cobra CBD and SUBECHO70.