Safety issues in cultural heritage management and critical infrastructures management

Abstract

This special issue is the fourth of its kind in Journal of Geophysics and Engineering , containing studies and applications of geophysical methodologies and sensing technologies for the knowledge, conservation and security of products of human activity ranging from civil infrastructures to built and cultural heritage. The first discussed the application of novel instrumentation, surface and airborne remote sensing techniques, as well as data processing oriented to both detection and characterization of archaeological buried remains and conservation of cultural heritage (Eppelbaum et al 2010). The second stressed the importance of an integrated and multiscale approach for the study and conservation of architectural, archaeological and artistic heritage, from SAR to GPR to imaging based diagnostic techniques (Masini and Soldovieri 2011). The third enlarged the field of analysis to civil engineering structures and infrastructures, providing an overview of the effectiveness and the limitations of single diagnostic techniques, which can be overcome through the integration of different methods and technologies and/or the use of robust and novel data processing techniques (Masini et al 2012). As a whole, the special issue put in evidence the factors that affect the choice of diagnostic strategy, such as the material, the spatial characteristics of the objects or sites, the value of the objects to be investigated (cultural or not), the aim of the investigation (knowledge, conservation, restoration) and the issues to be addressed (monitoring, decay assessment). In order to complete the overview of the application fields of sensing technologies this issue has been dedicated to monitoring of cultural heritage and critical infrastructures to address safety and security issues. Particular attention has been paid to the data processing methods of different sensing techniques, from infrared thermography through GPR to SAR. Cascini et al (2013) present the effectiveness of a remote sensing technique known as synthetic aperture radar at medium (ERS-ENVISAT) and high (COSMO-SkyMed) resolution for the detection and monitoring of facilities (i.e. buildings/infrastructures) in subsiding areas. In this paper, the results are presented with reference to a densely urbanized flat area in southern Italy, so as to show how the appropriate use of DInSAR data at different scales can help in the detection and monitoring of damageable facilities. Battaglini et al (2013) deal with a methodology for accurately estimating the behaviour of a landfill system in terms of biogas release to the atmosphere. In addition, the link between the flux measurements of biogas release and thermal anomalies detected by infrared radiometry is also discussed. The main benefit of the approach presented is a significant increase to the energy recovered from the landfill site by means of an optimal collection of biogas, which implies a reduction of the total anthropogenic methane originated from the disposal of waste. Dumoulin et al (2013) present an interesting technological solution for the thermal monitoring of a bridge deck. The system integrates an uncooled infrared camera with other sensors (i.e. a weather station and a GPS) and the detection of the inner structure of the deck is achieved by pulse phase thermography (PPT) and principal component thermography (PCT) approaches, so that a first characterization of the inner structure of the deck is proposed. Pappalardo et al (2013) show the advanced versions of the BSC-XRF (beam stability controlled—x-ray fluorescence) and PIXE-alpha (particle induced x-ray emission, using low energy alpha particles) portable spectrometers, developed at the Landis laboratory of the LNS-INFN and IBAM-CNR in Catania, Italy. Several analysis results are reviewed for data from various Sicilian sites and recent data, about the Via Capuana settlement in Licodia Eubea, are also presented and discussed for the first time. Drdacký and Sližkova (2013) present two methods as peeling tests, also known as the 'Scotch tape' method, and surface water uptake measurements, using a digitized micro-tube for assessing material characteristics and consolidation effects on historic stone and mortar. Both methods are reviewed by pointing out both the advantages and the drawbacks. Solimene et al (2013) present a novel data processing technique based on the inverse electromagnetic scattering for small and weak target detection and localization. They start from the idea of applying a two-stage MUSIC algorithm. In the first stage strong scatterers are detected. Then, information concerning their number and location is employed to detect and localize the weak scatterers. The role of an adequate scattering model is emphasized to drastically improve detection performance in realistic scenarios. Kadioglu et al (2013) deal with the exploitation of ground penetrating radar, enhanced by advanced data processing based on microwave tomography, for the detection and the assessment of structural damage affecting foundation healthiness, of significant relevance for safety management in cultural heritage. An interesting case of the effectiveness of the joint procedure is shown by processing measurements collected during a survey at the Great Mosque of Ilyas Bey, one of the most important cultural heritage features from ancient Miletos-Iona in Soke Aydin, Turkey. Finally, Nordebo et al (2013) provide an interesting analysis of the optimal accuracy and resolution in electrical impedance tomography (EIT), based on the Cramer–Rao lower bound. This study is very important in the set up and analysis of the regularization strategies for the linearized problem at hand. References Battaglini R, Raco B and Scozzari A 2013 Effective monitoring of landfills: flux measurements and thermography enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064002 Cascini L, Peduto D, Reale D, Arena L, Ferlisi S, Verde S and Fornaro G 2013 Detection and monitoring of facilities exposed to subsidence phenomena via past and current generation SAR sensors J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064001 Drdacký M and Sližkova Z 2013 Enhanced affordable methods for assessing material characteristics and consolidation effects on stone and mortar J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064005 Dumoulin J, Criniere A and Averty R 2013 The detection and thermal characterization of the inner structure of the 'Musmeci' bridge deck by infrared thermography monitoring J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064003 Eppelbaum L, Masini N and Soldovieri F 2010 Near surface geophysics for the study and the management of historical resources J. Geophys. Eng. 7 E01 Kadioglu S, Kadioglu Y K, Catapano I and Soldovieri F 2013 Ground penetrating radar and microwave tomography for the safety management of a cultural heritage site: Miletos Ilyas Bey Mosque (Turkey) J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064007 Masini N and Soldovieri F 2011 Integrated non-invasive sensing techniques and geophysical methods for the study and conservation of architectural, archaeological and artistic heritage J. Geophys. Eng. 8 E01 Masini N, Soldovieri F, Alvarez de Buergo M and Dumoulin J 2012 Cultural heritage and civil engineering J. Geophys. Eng. 9 E01 Nordebo S, Gustafsson M, Nilsson B, Sjoden T and Soldovieri F 2013 Fisher information analysis in electrical impedance tomography J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064008 Pappalardo L, Romano F P, Bracchitta D, Massimino A, Palio O and Rizzo F 2013 Obsidian provenance determination using the beam stability controlled BSC-XRF and the PIXE-alpha portable spectrometers of the LANDIS laboratory: the case of the Via Capuana settlement in Licodia Eubea (Sicily) J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064004 Solimene R, Leone G and Dell'Aversano A 2013 MUSIC algorithms for rebar detection J. Geophys. Eng. 10 064006