The role of geophysics in monitoring urban areas

The resilience and sustainability of urban areas depend heavily on the ability to implement strategic programs for the protection and maintenance of civil infrastructure. Structural health monitoring (SHM) of transport infrastructure (e.g., tunnels, bridges, and railways) and lifeline pipelines (e.g., water and energy networks and communication systems)  is among the main pillars of urban planning [1-3]. The ability to manage and protect urban infrastructure more effectively is becoming increasingly important, considering the growing urbanization process on a global scale and the exponential increase in extreme events related to climate change. In this scenario, urban areas will be more exposed to and vulnerable to these catastrophic events, resulting in increased socio-economic costs for the maintenance of civil infrastructures. Furthermore, even minor natural events could cause damage through cascading effects in urban networks.

Another key action within the urban planning framework is the introduction of the concept of 'compact cities’. In fact, there is a growing interest in creating spaces that accommodate multiple urban functions and services within proximity, thereby reducing the environmental footprint of urban areas and contributing to reduced energy consumption. Compact cities avoid the problems associated with urban sprawl and are an effective way of adapting to climate change. Once again, the organization of compact cities requires modern, innovative systems for managing civil infrastructures. Smart monitoring is even more important in suburban areas and remote areas, as it enables the concept of inclusivity for the populations living in these areas.

In this scenario, applied geophysics, also known as near-surface geophysics, can significantly support a wide range of urban planning activities. This work focuses on electromagnetic imaging methods widely used in urban geophysics and civil engineering.  In fact, the development of cost-effective, user-friendly sensor arrays, robust methodologies for tomographic data inversion, and AI-based and machine learning techniques has rapidly transformed these methods. Prospectives for development are identified in terms of using soft robot technologies, miniaturized sensors, and AI-based methods to acquire, process, and interpret data, as well as to design smart operational guidelines for infrastructure management, which will be presented at the conference.

 

 

• Cuomo, V.; Soldovieri, F.; Bourquin, F.; El Faouzi, N.E.; Dumoulin, J. The necessities and the perspectives of the monitoring/surveillance systems for multi-risk scenarios of urban areas including COVID-19 pandemic. In Proceedings of the 2020 TIEMS Conference, Citizens and Cities Facing New Hazards and Threats, Oslo, Norway.
• Soldovieri, F.; Dumoulin, J.; Ponzo, F.C.; Crinière, A.; Bourquin, F.; Cuomo, V. Association of sensing techniques with a designed ICT architecture in the ISTIMES project: application example with the monitoring of the Musmeci bridge. EWSHM 2014, 7th European Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring, Nantes, France, 8 - 11 July 2014.
• Cuomo, V.; Soldovieri, F.; Ponzo, F.C.; Ditommaso, R. A holistic approach to long term SHM of transport infrastructures. Emerg. Manag. Soc. (TIEMS), 2018, 33, 67–84.).