Geotechnical aspects in the restoration of Insula dei Casti Amanti in Pompeii

This paper deals with the geotechnical aspects of the restoration of the Insula dei Casti Amanti (IX-12), in the ancient town of Pompeii, Italy. Such works include the restoration of some archaeological ruins, the stabilisation of artificial slopes realised during archaeological excavations and the replacement of the actual roofing system with a single-span covering. Remedial measures for excavation fronts will be adopted by re-profiling them with variable slope angles, taking advantage of the conditions of partial saturation in the pyroclastic surge. The system of roofing will be replaced by a unique, single-span covering equipped with seismic isolators and supported by steel columns founded on circular embedded foundations. Seismic site response analyses, carried out to predict the seismic behaviour of the new covering, reveal that, depending on the frequency content of the seismic excitation, a ‘double resonance’ between the seismic input, the subsoil and the ancient architecture may occur.