Experimental assessment of the seismic performance of hospital cabinets using shake table testing

An experimental investigation of hospital building equipment is presented. Dynamic properties and seismic performance of typical ambulatory freestanding cabinets are assessed by unidirectional and bidirectional shake table tests, also considering the presence of internal partitions and cabinet contents. Vulnerability analysis is performed according to the most recent and reliable assessment methods, evaluating the influence of different parameters of the sample cabinets. The performance criteria referred within this research are the limit states reached by the specimens (ie, rocking and overturning) and by their contents (ie, overturning and breaking). Fragility curves are evaluated for the components and the contents, considering both acceleration and velocity intensity measures, and also using dimensionless intensity measures developed in recent studies. The outcomes of the present study confirm the findings of previous laboratory tests and numerical simulations carried out by the same authors and provide a further insight for the reliable seismic performance assessment of hospital cabinets and their contents.     

Assessment of tectonic-controlled rock fall processes threatening the ancient Appia route at the Aurunci Mountain pass (central Italy)

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China (Ningxia), one of main agriculture areas in northwest China, has been severely affected by drought. Based on observed meteorological data, outputs of 20 global climate models and drought disaster data, future climate change and relevant drought hazard in the twenty-first century were projected in Ningxia, with the scenarios of RCP2.6 and RCP4.5; the risks of people, crop, and agriculture economy to drought disasters are quantitatively assessed, with the application of physical vulnerability curve models, probability distribution functions and Monte Carlo simulation method. It is found that the climate in Ningxia is likely to have a warming and wetting tendency in the twenty-first century. The extent of drought hazard is likely to increase. The increase rate is greater under RCP4.5 than that under RCP2.6. In general, the risks of population, crop, and agriculture to drought disasters are likely to increase in Ningxia in the twenty-first century. The magnitude of increase is likely to reach the greatest in the immediate term (2016–2035), followed by the increase in the medium term (2046–2065), and the long term (2081–2100). In comparison with RCP2.6, the drought disaster risks under the scenario of RCP4.5 are likely to increase further in three periods of the twenty-first century. The findings of this work have potential to provide data support for drought disaster risk management and support risk-based decision-making.

     

Controls on large boulder mobility in an ‘auto-naturalized’ constructed step-pool river: San Clemente Reroute and Dam Removal Project,Carmel River,California, USA

A 1200 m-long river segment of Carmel River (California) was constructed to bypass trapped reservoir sediment when San Clemente Dam was removed from the Carmel River in 2015. Hundreds of large boulders were used to construct 53 steps in an 800 m-long reach of the project. Nearly all the boulders were scattered to new locations in high flows of 2017, and have been relatively stable since that time. We analysed the causes of incipient motion and distance travelled for 226 randomly selected large boulders (0.5–1.8 m) impacted by a flood event in winter of 2019. Channel width, water depth, and isolation from neighbouring boulders were the main variables controlling individual large boulder incipient motion during a 10-year peak flow event in the ‘auto-naturalized’ constructed step-pool river in 2019. There is weak statistical evidence that a combination of shear stress and the presence of boulders located laterally downstream of the subject boulder controlled the distance the boulder moved. Frequentist statistics and Akaike information criterion model comparison determined that boulder size, boulder shape, boulder roundness, and local thalweg slope were not good predictors of large boulder incipient motion or distance transported. Average dimensionless critical shear value for the four largest mobilized boulders (1.5–1.6 m) was 0.014. We describe the geomorphic history of the site and use our results to discuss potential causes of unanticipated large boulder transport at the site that occurred in a <2-year peak flow of winter 2016 soon after step construction. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Confronto fra i regimi pluviometrici di Genova e Savona

Riassunto L'esame dei giorni di ciascun anno dal 1886 al 1900 nei quali si sono avute precipitazioni apprezzabili tanto a Genova quanto a Savona (località distanti fra loro 35 km) viene istituito utilizzando l'indice di similitudineS recentemene introdotto daM. Bouët. La discussione dei risultati dimostra fra l'altro come le località marittime a ridosso di catene montuose siano più adatte a mettere in luce le variazioni nel tempo delle caratteristiche climatiche.

---

Zusammenfassung Ausgehend von der Anzahl der gleichzeitigen Niederschlagstagen in Genua und Savona (Abstand 35 km) wurde der AehnlichkeitsindexS nachBouët für jedes Jahr der Periode 1886–1900 berechnet. Die Diskussion der Ergebnisse zeigt u.a., dass die maritimen Orte, die am Fusse einer Bergkette liegen, gewöhnlich besser als die kontinentalen geeignet sind die zeitlichen Veränderungen der klimatischen Verhältnisse darzustellen.

     

Seismic performance evaluation of plasterboard partitions via shake table tests

The damage of nonstructural components represents the largest contribution to the economic loss caused by an earthquake. Since nonstructural components are not amenable to traditional structural analysis, full-scale experimental testing is crucial to understand their behaviour under earthquake. For this reason, shaking table tests are performed to investigate the seismic behaviour of plasterboard partitions. A steel test frame is properly designed in order to simulate the seismic effects at a generic building storey. The tests are performed shaking the table simultaneously in both horizontal directions. To investigate a wide range of interstorey drift demand and seismic damage, the shakes are performed scaling the accelerograms at eleven different intensity levels. The tested plasterboard partitions from Siniat exhibit a good seismic behaviour, both in their own plane and out of plane, showing limited damage up to 1.1 % interstorey drift ratio. The correlation between the dynamic characteristics of the test setup and the recorded damage is evidenced. Finally, an interesting comparison between the experimental results and the analytical model is also performed.     

Post-eruptive processes in the Campanian Ignimbrite

Summary ¶This paper deals with the mineralogical features of the most important and widespread pyroclastic formation of Southern Italy: the Campanian Ignimbrite. This formation is characterized by four stratigraphic units, different in colour and mineralogical composition. The lowermost unit (USAF) is constituted by an incoherent, thin (few tens of cm) sequence of glass or feldspar-rich layers. The middle part of the succession is formed by two main units: a lower grey, welded unit (WGI) capped by a yellow and lithified unit (LYT) that differ in both volcanological features and mineralogical composition. Locally these units are found separately. An incoherent unit (max thickness about 2m) mainly represented by fresh glass, forms the upper part of the succession. A detailed analysis has been carried out on six sections representative of the entire succession. The WGI is feldspathized by authigenic mineralization processes, and the feldspar content ranges between 30 and 90%. The LYT has been deeply affected by zeolitization processes and the total zeolite content often reaches 60%. Based on a comparative examination of both volcanological and mineralogical data, it is hypothesized that these two units were involved in different secondary mineralization processes. The portion of the succession characterized by the highest emplacement temperatures suffered welding and feldspathization and the result of these processes gave rise to the WGI unit. In contrast, the overlying lower-temperature and incoherent portion of the deposit was affected by circulation of meteoric water, thus enhancing zeolitization and lithification. The product of this process gave rise to the LYT unit.Received July 4, 2002; revised version accepted April 23, 2003     

Discovering the stone heritage of southern Italy: technical properties of the Mondragone marble from Campania region

The results of the geological characterization of an old stone building in southern Italy, are presented here. The Mondragone marble is a slightly metamorphosed carbonate rock, which was widely employed as monumental stone in the 18th century Royal Palaces of Naples and Caserta. In this paper, for the first time, this rock has been investigated with a thorough laboratory testing program, aimed at defining its mineralogical, physical and mechanical parameters. The two most important varieties of Mondragone marble were separately tested: the yellow and grey marbles (hereafter, YM and GM, respectively). The results obtained from physical tests (open porosity, dry density, specific gravity, water absorption coefficients, ultrasonic velocity) did not show marked differences between the two materials; in contrast, the mechanical strength tests (uniaxial compressive strength, point load strength, flexural strength) showed better behaviour of YM than for GM. After a tentative comparison with other well known carbonate rocks from Italy, some considerations on the response of Mondragone marble to local weathering were conducted. In particular, the weathering typologies were related to the particular texture of the brecciated marble and the different strength resistances displayed by the various constituents of the rock.     

Piperno from Campi Flegrei: a relevant stone in the historical and monumental heritage of Naples (Italy)

This paper reports novel data concerning the volcanic formation of the Piperno, a stone that has been used for a long time in the monumental architecture of Naples and the Campanian region (Southern Italy). A careful field survey of the outcrops or underground sites so far accessible allowed us to draw a lithostratigraphic reconstruction of the formation and enabled the recognition of the three main layers exploited in past centuries and which provided dimension stones for architectural and structural purposes. Petrophysical and mineralogical characterization also enabled us to discriminate the same layers previously identified. Different scoriae/matrix ratio, scoriae dimension and welding degree are the most peculiar features of these horizons. The combination of these three parameters, even though they did not affect the use of Piperno as dimension stone, somehow determined its variable susceptibility to the weathering agents. However, a linear relationship between the exposure time and the decay of the stone itself, at a parity of weathering intensity, was not observed. This assumption was proved by verifying that the specific layers of the volcanic sequence controlled the weathering degree of Piperno from monuments disregarding their age of emplacement.     

Assessing the impact of large-scale dewatering on fault-controlled aquifer systems: a case study in the Acque Albule basin (Tivoli, central Italy)

The development of large-scale bedrock quarry operations often requires high-volume and long-term groundwater extraction to maintain a sustainable working environment. These dewatering activities often influence groundwater levels and flow patterns regionally. In the present study, the influence of the dewatering of the travertine quarry operations near the city of Tivoli, Italy, are quantitatively investigated through an integrated analysis of field data and numerical modeling. Lowering of regional groundwater levels in the vicinity of the quarry has led to destructive land subsidence and alterations to the flow system sustaining a hot-spring area. The study employs a finite element numerical model (FEFLOW) to evaluate and quantify the impact of the extensive dewatering on fault-controlled regional groundwater flow in the Acque Albule basin. By incorporating the physical field data and historical hydrologic information, the numerical model was calibrated against three groundwater scenarios, reproducing the effects of different exploitation activities, coupled with natural changes over the course of the quarry operation. The results indicate that groundwater withdrawals by the mining industry and by “Terme di Roma” spa resulted in the cessation of flow from the primary thermal spring and a drop in the phreatic level in the area consequently affected by land subsidence.