95922 - Environmental Sustainability of Roads M

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students with a general framework of knowledge relating to the main externalities produced by road transport infrastructures, starting from the identification and quantification of the impacts that these have on the environment and on humans, in a broad sense. First of all, the basis of the design and construction of the roads will be identified with particular reference to the modification of the territory in landscape terms and the genesis of fragmentation phenomena (and related impacts on biodiversity) and emissions into the environment (in particular in water, in the air and soil). Students will be required to understand and then be able to apply design scenarios with innovative solutions for the mitigation, containment and control of externalities, with a view to a more context-sensitive design (Context-Sensitive Design). Some (green) approaches will be described as alternatives to traditional grey design and construction techniques. A short design exercise (individual or group) specific to an application case is foreseen.

Course contents

The course consists of a number of lessons aimed at introducing and exploring the sustainability related to road infrastructure.

Theme 1: Context-sensitive design, road integration into the landscape, wide and specific impacts. Study of optimal route placement.

Theme 2: Landscape and the road: landscape integration and past and present vision of the road. Biodiversity and territorial fragmentation. Measurement of fragmentation. Defragmentation techniques. Wildlife crossings.

Theme 3: Naturalistic engineering applied to road construction: embankments, reinforcement, erosion, support. The use of roots and green solutions in road construction.

Theme 4: Road noise: origin, amplification, short- and long-term effects. Measurement techniques and mitigation and abatement/absorption interventions. Acoustic barriers. Low-impact pavements.

Theme 5: Road washoff. Pollutants, types, quantification. runoff. Traditional and green solutions for water collection and treatment. The urban heat island phenomenon: its origins and remediation technique in road engineering.

Topic 6: Road materials and construction techniques with low environmental impact. Use of recycled and innovative materials and reduction of production, laying, and compaction temperatures.

Classes is in Italian language. Therefore, a good understanding of the Italian language is required to successfully follow the course and use the provided teaching materials.

Readings/Bibliography

Presentations available on Virtuale or provided by the lecturer.

Teaching methods

Classes will be held in presence. Visits to construction sites currently working on topics covered in the course may be organized. A visit to the DICAM Road Laboratory is also planned.

Assessment methods

Learning assessment is achieved through a final exam, which verifies the acquisition of the expected knowledge and skills through an oral examination.

Teaching tools

Technical Visit to the Laboratory/Construction Site

Office hours

See the website of Piergiorgio Tataranni