APPLIED PETROGRAPHY TO URBAN AREAS
Academic Year 2026/2027 - Teacher: PAOLO MAZZOLENIExpected Learning Outcomes
The course aims to provide appropriate knowledge and skills concerning: (a) vulnerability assessment; (b) theevaluation of the conservation status of buildings, including those of historical and cultural significance, withinurban 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 followingcompetences:
Knowledge and Understanding - Lectures will contribute to:
- Understanding the geochemical, mineralogical, and petrographic properties of geological materials, aswell as their origin and transformations in natural and anthropogenic environments.
- Understanding environmental systems, georesources, and geological heritage in relation to sustainabilityand their interactions with human activities.
- Understanding the physical and petrophysical properties of geological materials and their relationshipwith geophysical parameters and applications in different contexts.
- Understanding methods for natural hazard assessment and their implications for risk management andterritorial protection.
Applying Knowledge and Understanding - The course will contribute to developing the ability to applyknowledge and understanding in order to:
- Apply geochemical, mineralogical, and petrographic analytical techniques to characterize thecomposition, origin, and properties of geological materials.
- Translate geological knowledge into operational assessments supporting sustainable land managementand the enhancement of georesources and geological heritage.
- Measure and interpret the physical and petrophysical properties of geological materials to understandtheir behavior in different applied contexts.
- Assess natural hazards through integrated geological and geophysical methodologies, supporting riskmanagement and spatial planning.
Making Judgements, Communication Skills, and Learning Skills - Through lectures and field activities, thecourse 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, includingthose aimed at natural hazard assessment.
- The ability to analyze, synthesize, and effectively communicate technical and scientific results to bothspecialist and non-specialist audiences.
- The ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
- The ability to prepare technical documentation (reports, technical reports, and maps) through practicalclassroom and field exercises.
- The ability to independently consult databases, scientific literature, and regulatory references.
Course Structure
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, inorder to ensure consistency with the syllabus
Required Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of petrography. The background knowledge is considered beneficial forunderstanding the course contents.
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
Introduction to the course and review of the main notions of mineralogy and petrography- vulnerability ofancient masonry in urban areas - UNESCO recommendation for the evaluation of the vulnerability in historicalcenters - Elements of architectural requirements for masonry - Advanced studies and in-depth petrographicanalysis on natural and artificial building stones, with particular interest to Sicilian raw materials - Naturalbuilding stones (local historical and modern quarries, replacement stones, in-situ and laboratory tests for thecharacterization of quarried materials, degradation processes in building stones and evaluation of the effect ofdegrade in structural stability of masonry) - Artificial building stones. (Manufacture of artificial stone materialsused in antiquity, manufacture of replacement artificial building materials for restoration actions, degradationprocesses in building stones and evaluation of the effect of degrade in structural stability of masonry - Methodsfor 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 ofmasonry) • Methods for the vulnerability evaluation • Methods for environmental monitoring - Models andmethods for the determination of the conservation state of masonry • Non-invasive and non-destructivemethods • Multispectral Imaging techniques - Focus on restoration actions for the conservation and protectionof building materials used in the historical masonry • Consolidant and protective products • non invasive andnon destructive methods for monitoring and evaluating the efficiency of conservation/protection actions. Fieldexercises for the identification and mapping of stone materials and forms of degradation. Cases histories
Textbook Information
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the course. The concept of risk in the historical-artistic field. | file 1 STUDIUM e Carta tematica di rischiovulcanico della Regione Sicilia. Costruzionedi un modello di indagine a scala locale2007 (in biblioteca) |
| 2 | Advanced petrographic characterization of natural and artificial stone materials used in historic buildings | file pdf MATERIALI LAPIDEI disponibile su STUDIUM pp 1-73 |
| 3 | Degradation of natural stone materials and study of the modifications of the properties of the materials following the degradation processes for the evaluation of the stability of the artefacts | file pdf MATERIALI LAPIDEI disponibile suSTUDIUM pp 1-73 |
| 4 | degradation process | file 5 e 6 STUDIUM |
| 5 | Stone materials. Rock durability. Vulnerability assessment of stone materials. | file 2, 3, 4 su STUDIUM |
| 6 | In situ analysis methods of degradation patterns and the Fitzner method | file 8 Fitzner e pubblicazioni STUDIUM |
| 7 | notes on consolidating and protective products | file 8, 9 e pdf MATERIALI LAPIDEI suSTUDIUM pp 116.129 |
| 8 | Case studies. Diagnostics to determine the state of conservation. Methods for monitoring the effectiveness of interventions. | files 7 edifici romani, medievali e ottocenteschi + pubblicazioni STUDIUM |
| 9 | Field exercise for the identification and mapping of stone materials and degradation forms. |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Assessment will consist of a deterioration mapping exercise accompanied by a written report. An oral examination may be conducted for clarification purposes or upon the student's request.
Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line, should the conditions require it. To ensure equalopportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview inorder to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specificneeds. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per leDisabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti)
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
- Mapping of deterioration features on a monument
- Conservation and restoration interventions
- Interpretation of deterioration processes