Geotechnics of Venice and Its Lagoon

This presents the complex phenomena occurring in the sensitive Venice silts and the geotechnical aspects of various environmental problems such as land subsidence and wetland surface reduction, and solutions such as the design of the tilting gate foundations against high tides and the restoration of the drainage system of Piazza San Marco. Without any protective intervention, the historic city of Venice and its surrounding islands would suffer rapid deterioration due to the increased frequency of tidal flooding, as the gap between land surface and sea levels has reduced due to a coupled effect of climate change-induced sea-level rise and natural and anthropic subsidence. Geotechnics of Venice and Its Lagoon provides a clear and comprehensive illustration of the extensive geotechnical aspects of not only the various environmental problems such as land subsidence and wetland surface reduction, but also solutions such as the design of the tilting gate foundations against high tides and the restoration and improvement of the drainage system of the renowned Piazza San Marco, which have been necessary for the preservation of the extraordinary cultural heritage of Venice. Readers will gain a better understanding of the complex phenomena occurring in the sensitive Venice silts, whose hydro-mechanical behavior has required comprehensive laboratory and site investigations and modeling. The book provides: An authoritative analysis of one of the largest and most important geotechnical issues in the world A description of a detailed case study of an ongoing engineering solution The book will be useful for engineers worldwide, and is also an excellent reference for students.