Working Group
Francesco Mazzieri, Evelina Fratalocchi, Marta di Sante, Erio Pasqualini
Cooperation
Gent University (Belgium)
Description of the research topics
Geosynthetic Clay Liners in aggressive conditions
The study concerns the behaviour of Geosynthetic Clay Liners with regard to possible critical conditions for their hydraulic performances such as strong electrolyte solution of monovalent cations (e.g. seawater), calcium-rich solutions, acidic solutions. Migration phenomena and sorption of solutes (e.g. heavy metals) through GCLs are investigated by means of diffusion and column tests, with the purpose of accurate predictions of pollutant containment performance in the field.
Behaviour of modified bentonites
The study concerns the behaviour of novel bentonites treated with additives or modified at the structural scale (nano-composites) with the purpose of improving their properties in hydraulic or pollutant barriers. In particular the study addressed the impact of dry and wet cycles (which can occur in some applications) on the swelling and hydraulic behaviour of bentonite.
