Training School on Ground Penetrating Radar for civil engineering and cultural heritage management

Roma, Italy, May 14-18, 2018

The Training School was   targeted to civil and electronic engineers, archaeologists, geologists, geophysicists, early-career investigators and PhD/Masters students  interested in Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology and methodology, and particularly  in the use GPR for civil-engineering investigations, archaeological prospection and cultural heritage preservation. Theoretical and practical sessions took place.  During the school, we promoted debate and raised awareness about the importance and value of cultural heritage. We also  discussed how to foster and facilitate  engagement of GPR scientists with citizens and stakeholders.

Networking  programmes and funding Institutions

The Training School was funded by TU1208 GPR Association, Associazione Italiana del Georadar, Sapienza University of Rome (in the framework of the  "Conferences, Seminars and Workshops" programme) and University College London (in the framework of the   "Rome Regional Engagement" programme). 

European Year of Cultural Hertage

The Training School was awarded with the European Year of Cultural Heritage label.   The aim of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 is to encourage more people to discover and engage with Europe's cultural heritage, and to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space.   

Cultural heritage shapes our identities and everyday lives. It surrounds us in Europe's towns and cities, natural landscapes and archaeological sites. It is not only found in literature, art and objects, but also in the crafts we learn from our ancestors, the stories we tell to our children, the food we enjoy in company and the films we watch and recognise ourselves in.   

Heritage comes ‘from the past’ but is not static: it actually evolves though our engagement with it.

Our heritage  is important to preserve and pass on to future generations. Through cherishing our cultural heritage, we can discover our diversity and start an inter-cultural conversation about what we have in common.

Coordinators of the School

• Prof. Lara Pajewski (Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy)
• Dr Raffaele Persico (Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council, IBAM-CNR, Lecce, Italy)
• Dr Lai Bun Lok (University College of London, London, United Kingdom)

Trainers of the School

Lectures were given by 15 Trainers from 6 Countries, coming from Universities, Research Centres,  Companies, and Public Agencies.

1. Dr Michael Arvanitis (Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc - GSSI, US)
2. Dr Pier Matteo Barone (American Universtiy of Rome, Rome, Italy)
3. Dr Davide Comite (Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy)
4. Dr Francesco La Vigna (Municipality of Rome, Geology and Environmental Hydrogeology Office, Italy)
5. Dr Lai Bun Lok (University College of London, London, United Kingdom)
6. Prof. Lara Pajewski (Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy)
7. Dr Raffaele Persico (Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council, IBAM-CNR, Lecce, Italy)
8. Dr Salvatore Piro (Institute for Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage of the National Research Council, ITABC-CNR, Rome, Italy)
9. Prof. Dragan Poljak (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture - FESB, University of Split, Split, Croatia)
10. Mr Maurizio Porcu (Codevintec Italiana srl, Milano, Italy)
11. Prof. Aleksandar Ristic (Faculty of Technical Sciences of the University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia)
12. Dr Maja Škiljo (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture - FESB, University of Split, Split, Croatia)
13. Dr Francesco Soldovieri  (Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment of the National Research Council, IREA-CNR, Naples, Italy)
14. Ms Anna Šušnjara (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture - FESB, University of Split, Split, Croatia)
15. Dr Carl Van Geem (Belgian Road Research Centre, BRRC, Bruxelles, Belgium). 

Equipment 

During practical sessions, we used  an innovative stepped-frequency reconfigurable GPR prototype developed  at the Italian National Research Council and within COST Action TU1208.  Moreover, we used cutting-edge  pulsed GPR systems manufactured by  Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc - GSSI. The school organisers would like to thank GSSI for participating in this Training School and providing equipment.

Detailled list of equipment used during practical sessions:

• Reconfigurable stepped-frequency GPR prototype  developed in Italy, covering the 50 - 1000 MHz  frequency range.   The original version of this prototype was implemented by the Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council (IBAM-CNR), in cooperation with the University of Florence and the Italian company Florence Engineering, within the research project AITECH funded by Regione Puglia; in the framework of COST Action TU1208, the prototype was significantly improved and widely tested in Italy, Malta and Norway.
• 1 x GSSI UtilityScan LT   with 350 MHz antenna.
• 1 x GSSI StructureScan Mini XT with 2700 MHz antenna.
• 1 x SIR-4000 with 400 MHz antenna and external odometer.

Additional prototypes  were presented and showcased on Monday (but not used during practical sessions). These include: two innovative Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) prototypes developed at University College  London (namely, a low power 200-400 MHz FMCW GPR with bowtie antennas and a 30 MHz FMCW GPR with folded dipole antennas), and an affordable FMCW prototype developed at the University of Split for training purposes.

Class Scheduling

Monday, 14 May 2018 - Introduction to Ground Penetrating Radar technology, methodology, and applications. Innovative GPR systems.

Morning lectures: Building "B", 2nd floor, Reading Room ("Sala lettura")

Afternoon lectures:  Room with Frescoes, at the cloister

Tuesday, 15 May 2018 - Use of GPR in civil engineering, with a main focus on roads and bridges. Use of GPR for groundwater resource monitoring. Hydrogeological map of Rome. 

All lectures are at the ground floor of Cavour congress centre, in via Cavour 50/A

Wednesday, 16 May 2018 -  Use of GPR for cultural heritage preservation. Practical session  in San Pietro in Vincoli Church.

Theoretical Sessions: Building "B", 2nd floor, Reading Room ("Sala lettura")

Practical Session:  San Pietro in Vincoli, Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli 4/A

San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) is a   basilica in Rome,  best known for being the home of Michelangelo's statue of Moses on  the tomb of Pope Julius II. The Engineering campus of Sapienza University is located just next to the church, in the former convent building. The church and the University are both located on the Oppian Hill, a few steps from the Colosseum.

Thursday, 17 May 2018 - Use of GPR for cultural heritage preservation. One day trip and practical sessions in Basilica Papale di San Paolo Fuori le Mura, with the ambitious goal to discover and map, for the first time, the early Christian archaeological structures underlying the Quadriportico and Cloister.

Address:  Basilica Papale di San Paolo Fuori le Mura, Piazzale San Paolo 1

 The Basilica  houses many magnificent statues, paintings and mosaics. Most noteworthy are the mosaic portraits of all the popes, from St. Peter  to John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and  Francis.   At the end of the right transept of the church, a door leads to the Chiostro (cloister), which is still authentic since it was untouched by the fire of 1823. The cloister was originally created between 1205 and 1241 by Pietro Vassalletto and is one of the finest in Rome, with beautifully sculpted columns in a multitude of shapes; some are completely smooth while others are spiraling or octagonal in shape and encrusted with colorful mosaics.

Under  the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls and the adjacent Park Schuster, there is a very precious early Christian archaeological area. A small part of such area has been escavated about 100 years ago, in the park, and is currently being further investigated. GPR has  never been used  here. During the Training School we will use GPR for the first time in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls  to discover and map the structures underlying the Quadriportico and the Cloister. We are  grateful to Dr Vincenzo Coraggio for granting us the permission to conduct this survey, which will hopefully represent the first step of an extraordinary collaboration and research project.

Friday, 18 May 2018 - Use of GPR in civil engineering (with a main focus un utility detection in urban areas). GPR data processing. Further topics.

All Sessions  in building "B", 2nd floor, Reading Room ("Sala lettura").

Group photos taken in the Quadriportico of Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura and in the Cloister of the Engineering Campus of Sapienza University.

Trainees

The school was attended by 25 Trainees from  10 Countries: Austria,   Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Romania, and Spain; 16  Trainees  were from Academia, 7 Trainees were from Industry, and 3 Trainees were Freelance Professionals.

Training School Grants

The call for Grants was open from 14 February 2018 to 26 March 2018 13:00 CET.

Up to 3 Grants  were available for Members of TU1208 GPR Association, up to 3 Grants were available for Members of Associazione Italiana del Georadar, up to 3 Grants were available for students and researchers from Sapienza University of Rome, and finally, up to 3 Grants were available for students and researchers from  University College London.  All Grant Applications were examined by the school coordinators and the list of granted Trainees is reported below.

List of granted Trainees:

• Dr Martina Cogoni (Henge S.r.l. Heritage Engineering Geophysics, Italy) - Ass. Italiana del Georadar Grant
• Mr Francesco Saverio Desideri (PhD student in environmental and hydraulic engineering @ Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) - Sapienza University Grant
• Mr Davide Mastracci (Electronic engineering student @ Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) - Sapienza University Grant
• Dr Loredana Matera (Freelance geophysicist, Italy) - TU1208 GPR Association Grant
• Dr Santo Prontera (Freelance electronic engineer, Italy) - Ass. Italiana del Georadar Grant
• Ms Michalina Pszczółkowska (Erasmus Student @ Sapienza University of Rome, from Warsaw University of Technology, TLC engineering and geoinformatics Master course, Poland) - Sapienza University Grant
• Mr Mezgeen Rasol (PhD student @ Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain) - TU1208 GPR Association Grant
• Mr Alessio Ventura (Freelance electronic engineer, Italy) - TU1208 GPR Association Grant

Full list of Trainees:

1. Mr Adam Barclay (Technical University of Vienna, Austria)   
2. Mr Benedetto Burchini (Trigeo s.n.c., Italy)
3. Mr Lorenzo Carosso (PhD student in electrical, electronics and communications engineering @ Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy)
4. Dr Jaime Clapés Boixader (Universidad Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain) - Attending on 16 May 2018, only
5. Dr Igino Coco (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy)
6. Dr Martina Cogoni (Henge S.r.l. Heritage Engineering Geophysics, Italy)   
7. Mr Francesco Saverio Desideri (PhD student in environmental and hydraulic engineering @ Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)
8. Dr Dan Diaconu (Chief of Works @ Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania)
9. Ms Afief Dias Pambudi (Technische Universität Darmstadt, Signal Processing Group, Germany)
10. Dr Erika Garilli (University of Parma - Deaprtment of Engineering and Architecture, Italy)
11. Dr Fabio Giannattasio (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy)
12. Mr Olav Harjo (Topest OÜ, Estonia)
13. Dr Andreas Heinzel (Institut für Hochfrequenztechnik und Radarsysteme, Germany)
14. Mr Heorhii Iurin (Murka Entertainment Limited, Cyprus)
15. Mr Anton Krasnyy (Murka Entertainment Limited, Cyprus)
16. Prof. Octavio Lazaro Mancilla (Professor @ Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Mexicali, Mexico)
17. Mr Davide Mastracci (Electronic engineering student @ Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)
18. Dr Loredana Matera (Freelance geophysicist, Italy)
19. Mr Andrea Nencetti (Trigeo s.n.c., Italy) 
20. Dr Santo Prontera (Freelance electronic engineer, Italy)
21. Ms Michalina Pszczółkowska (Telecommunication engineering and geoinformatics, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland)
22. Mr Mezgeen Rasol (PhD student @ Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain)
23. Dr Carla Lorena Todut (Assistant @ Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania)
24. Mr Alessio Ventura (Freelance electronic engineer, Italy)
25. Ms Katerina Zamazalova (PhD Student @ Faculty of Science of Charles University, Czech Republic)