Prime indagini geomeccaniche sul versante sinistro della Val Ridanna

The aim of this work is to give a preliminary geological and geomechanical characterization of the northern slope of the Ridnaun Valley. Geological and geomorphological surveys, on the basis of already existing maps, were done during the field activity. In particular, the geomorphological survey was aimed to identify and map the principal morphostructures of the Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations affecting the slope. Geomechanical surveys were done using both the scanline and the random method, in order to evaluate the principal parameters of the involved rock masses. In particular, the field geomechanical investigations allow to obtain data about the orientation, uniaxial strength (Schmidt Hammer Tests), roughness and spacing of the discontinuities. For a better description of the rock mass qualities along the slope, a map of the Geological Strength Index (GSI) values was carried out. For its definition, GSI values of all the encountered outcrops during the geomechanical surveys were used, coupled with the ones given during the previous field surveys. All these activities allow to give a preliminary geomechanical characterization of the northern slope of the Ridanun Valley.