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Integrating Geotechnical and Interferometric SAR Measurements for Secondary Compressibility Characterization of Coastal Soils

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Abstract

Persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) provides a new perspective to monitor the movements of coastal structures due to long-term consolidation using satellite-borne remote sensors. The method has the advantages of detecting the displacements at a very high spatial (from 1 to a few meters) and temporal (from 10 to 30 days) resolution. Cost-effective monitoring of complex and large (some kilometer long) structures can be done over long time (up to 10 years) intervals and at large scales (tens times tens km2) of investigation. Here, these measurements are integrated with geotechnical, site-specific measurements to characterize in a unique framework the long-term compressibility of coastal soils over large areas. The approach is tested on the 60-km-long coastland of the Venice Lagoon, Italy. An accurate quantification of the movements of coastal infrastructures at the Venice coastland is carried out by PSI using ENVISAT ASAR and TerraSAR-X images acquired from April 2003 to December 2009 and from March 2008 to January 2009, respectively. Several nearshore and offshore structures were constructed over the decades to protect Venice and its coastal environment from sea storms and high tides. Long jetties were built at the lagoon inlets since the end of the 18th century, significantly reinforced between 1994 and 1997, and finally reshaped since 2003 in the framework of the MOSE construction (i.e., the project of mobile barriers for the temporarily closure of the lagoon to the sea). The measured displacements range from a few mm/year for the structures older than 10 years to 50–70 mm/year for those realized a few years ago. The PSI measurements are combined with the outcome of a detailed geomechanical characterization of the lagoon subsoil obtained by a field-scale experiment started at the end of 2002 and monitored to 2008. The use of the stress-strain properties derived from the trial embankment and the actual lithostratigraphy below the coastal structures, which is available from several piezocone profiles and boreholes, allows for the computation of secondary compression (consolidation) rates that match very well the PSI-derived movements. The results provide important information on the potential of using PSI to characterizing geotechnical properties (magnitude and distribution) of coastal deposits, as well as to estimate the expected time-dependent geomechanical response of coastal structures or other large constructions.

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Acknowledgments

TerraSAR-X data courtesy COA0612, ©DLR. ENVISAT ASAR data ©ESA. ENVISAT data have been elaborated within the INLET Project supported by Magistrato alle Acque (Venice Water Authority) through its concessionary Consorzio Venezia Nuova. Relevant geotechnical and engineering information courtesy of Venice Water Authority and Consorzio Venezia Nuova.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Arsenale, Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venice, Italy

    L. Tosi & P. Teatini

  2. Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, Via Trieste 63, 35121, Padua, Italy

    P. Teatini

  3. Via San Carlo 44, 33078, San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy

    L. Bincoletto

  4. Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, Via Ognissanti 39, 35129, Padua, Italy

    P. Simonini

  5. GAMMA Remote Sensing AG, Worbstrasse 225, 3073, Gümligen, Switzerland

    T. Strozzi

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  1. L. Tosi
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  4. P. Simonini
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  5. T. Strozzi
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Correspondence to P. Teatini.

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Tosi, L., Teatini, P., Bincoletto, L. et al. Integrating Geotechnical and Interferometric SAR Measurements for Secondary Compressibility Characterization of Coastal Soils. Surv Geophys 33, 907–926 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-012-9186-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-012-9186-y

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