APPLIED PETROGRAPHY TO URBAN AREAS

The course aims to provide appropriate knowledge and skills concerning: (a) vulnerability assessment; (b) the evaluation of the conservation status of buildings, including those of historical and cultural significance, within urban environments; and (c) the most suitable conservation and protection methods aimed at minimizing risk.

With reference to the Dublin Descriptors, this course contributes to the acquisition of the following competences:

Knowledge and Understanding Lectures will contribute to:

• Understanding the geochemical, mineralogical, and petrographic properties of geological materials, as well as their origin and transformations in natural and anthropogenic environments.
• Understanding environmental systems, georesources, and geological heritage in relation to sustainability and their interactions with human activities.
• Understanding the physical and petrophysical properties of geological materials and their relationship with geophysical parameters and applications in different contexts.
• Understanding methods for natural hazard assessment and their implications for risk management and territorial protection.

Applying Knowledge and Understanding The course will contribute to developing the ability to apply knowledge and understanding in order to:

• Apply geochemical, mineralogical, and petrographic analytical techniques to characterize the composition, origin, and properties of geological materials.
• Translate geological knowledge into operational assessments supporting sustainable land management and the enhancement of georesources and geological heritage.
• Measure and interpret the physical and petrophysical properties of geological materials to understand their behavior in different applied contexts.
• Assess natural hazards through integrated geological and geophysical methodologies, supporting risk management and spatial planning.

Making Judgements, Communication Skills, and Learning Skills Through lectures and field activities, the course will contribute to the acquisition of:

• The ability to make informed decisions when dealing with complex problems.
• The ability to plan and manage investigations, interventions, and complex territorial projects, including those aimed at natural hazard assessment.
• The ability to analyze, synthesize, and effectively communicate technical and scientific results to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• The ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• The ability to prepare technical documentation (reports, technical reports, and maps) through practical classroom and field exercises.
• The ability to independently consult databases, scientific literature, and regulatory references.

The course consists of lectures and field activities under the supervision of the teacher.

If the course is delivered in blended or remote mode, appropriate adjustments may be made to the above, in order to ensure consistency with the syllabus

Basic knowledge of petrography. The background knowledge is considered beneficial for understanding the course contents.

Introduction to the course and review of the main notions of mineralogy and petrography- vulnerability of ancient masonry in urban areas - UNESCO recommendation for the evaluation of the vulnerability in historical centers - Elements of architectural requirements for masonry - Advanced studies and in-depth petrographic analysis on natural and artificial building stones, with particular interest to Sicilian raw materials - Natural building stones (local historical and modern quarries, replacement stones, in-situ and laboratory tests for the characterization of quarried materials, degradation processes in building stones and evaluation of the effect of degrade in structural stability of masonry) - Artificial building stones. (Manufacture of artificial stone materials used in antiquity, manufacture of replacement artificial building materials for restoration actions,  degradation processes in building stones and evaluation of the effect of degrade in structural stability of masonry - Methods for the evaluation of masonry vulnerability in urban areas - Overview on risks (static risk; environmental risk; anthropic risk) - Vulnerability (exposure to risks; anthropic, climatic, environmental factors; conservation state of masonry) • Methods for the vulnerability evaluation • Methods for environmental monitoring - Models and methods for the determination of the conservation state of masonry  • Non-invasive and non-destructive methods • Multispectral Imaging techniques - Focus on restoration actions for the conservation and protection of building materials used in the historical masonry • Consolidant and protective products • non invasive and non destructive methods for monitoring and evaluating the efficiency of conservation/protection actions. Field exercises for the identification and mapping of stone materials and forms of degradation. Cases histories

Educational material provided by the teacher

Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line, should the conditions require it. To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti)

• Mapping of deterioration features on a monument
• Conservation and restoration interventions
• Interpretation of deterioration processes