The failure of geo-structures such as underground caves and vertical cliffs in soft rocks are frequent hazards that may cause damage to infrastructure and people when developing in inhabited centres. Canosa di Puglia, is a city located in southern Italy, characterised by hundreds of artificial cavities with high cultural value excavated in a soft Calcarenite. Because of chemical weathering, water infiltration and the increase of the in-service loads, the risk of sinkhole formation is high. The rapid evolution of the failure mechanism is in fact detrimental as it does not give any warning signs that may be used to mobilise countermeasures. The most common mitigation technique used in this context is cavity filling. On top of being expensive, such approach is highly environmentally unfriendly as the volumes of cement required and consequent CO2 released are large. Since most of these cavities are of high cultural value alternative mitigation measures preserving their originality is required. This paper proposes a new reinforcement method developed to answer to this need. Through an experimental campaign it is shown that by using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) bars combined with thixotropic materials a greater efficiency can be guaranteed with respect to the usual filling methods or to the use of steel bars. The paper discusses in detail the development and choice of the most efficient and performing materials by means of in situ pull tests on anchors installed in a cavity located near the city centre of Canosa di Puglia.
Sandrini, L., Ciantia, M., Castellanza, R., Bridi, I. (2023). On the Efficiency of GFRP Anchors in Soft Rocks. In A. Ferrari, M. Rosone, M. Ziccarelli, G. Gottardi (a cura di), Geotechnical Engineering in the Digital and Technological Innovation Era Conference proceedings (pp. 841-847). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH [10.1007/978-3-031-34761-0_101].
On the Efficiency of GFRP Anchors in Soft Rocks
Sandrini L.
;Ciantia M. O.;Castellanza R.;
2023
Abstract
The failure of geo-structures such as underground caves and vertical cliffs in soft rocks are frequent hazards that may cause damage to infrastructure and people when developing in inhabited centres. Canosa di Puglia, is a city located in southern Italy, characterised by hundreds of artificial cavities with high cultural value excavated in a soft Calcarenite. Because of chemical weathering, water infiltration and the increase of the in-service loads, the risk of sinkhole formation is high. The rapid evolution of the failure mechanism is in fact detrimental as it does not give any warning signs that may be used to mobilise countermeasures. The most common mitigation technique used in this context is cavity filling. On top of being expensive, such approach is highly environmentally unfriendly as the volumes of cement required and consequent CO2 released are large. Since most of these cavities are of high cultural value alternative mitigation measures preserving their originality is required. This paper proposes a new reinforcement method developed to answer to this need. Through an experimental campaign it is shown that by using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) bars combined with thixotropic materials a greater efficiency can be guaranteed with respect to the usual filling methods or to the use of steel bars. The paper discusses in detail the development and choice of the most efficient and performing materials by means of in situ pull tests on anchors installed in a cavity located near the city centre of Canosa di Puglia.
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