Caratterizzazione geotecnica del sottosuolo di San Giuliano di Puglia

In order to correlate the damages produced by 2002 Molise earthquake to the litostratigraphic and mechanical characteristics of the subsoil, a detailed investigation by in situ and laboratory tests was performed in San Giuliano di Puglia (CB). The investigations were directed both to study the Toppo Capuana marly clays, above which most of the damages of buildings were founds, and, to a lesser extent, the Faeto flysch formation, that is its rigid bedrock. The marly clay deposit is distinguishable in several strata, which varied in relation to the intensity of cracking, that is classified in a rational way. The in situ investigations allowed to recognize the litostratigraphic characters of the area and to reconstruct, with different methods, the main stratigraphic section account for variability of alteration and cracking. The latter factor, although not evident through the physical properties of soils, was of paramount importance in understanding the strength and compressibility behaviour of the soil, and on the overall stress-strain behaviour that controls a seismic response of the subsoil.