3D WCSPH modelling of landslide-water dynamics during 1963 Vajont disaster.

This study illustrates the full-scale 3D numerical simulation of the coupled water-landslide dynamics of the 1963 Vajont catastrophic event. The focus is given to the early phase of the event when about 270 million cubic meters of rock fell into the reservoir within an estimated runout time of about 25 s. A complex surge wave system developed throughout the basin in the first 40-55 s, producing maximum run-up of 270 m above the dam crowning.

New optimization strategies for SWMM modeling of stormwater quality applications in urban area.

Build-up/wash-off models were originally developed for small-scale laboratory facilities with uniform properties. The effective translation of these models to catchment scale necessitates the meticulous calibration of model parameters. The present study combines the Mat-SWMM tool with a genetic algorithm (GA) to improve the calibration of build-up and wash-off parameters.

The performance evaluation of wastewater service: a protocol based on performance indicators applied to sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants.

This research aimed to identify a tool to objectively analyse the performance and the environmental contextualisation of sewer systems (SwSs) and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This procedure performs assessment by calculating performance indices which could be subsequently applied to SwSs and WWTPs with different characteristics. The proposed tool can be applied conveniently over the years by managers of integrated urban water management systems for the analysis of different realities also allowing the evaluation of the effects of upgrades carried out during the management phases.

Testing an innovative first flush identification methodology against field data from an Italian catchment.

This paper studies in depth the first flush concept with the aim of exploiting the potential of this phenomenon for an effective and economical implementation of stormwater quality control practices. A quantitative first flush methodology recently proposed in the scientific literature is applied to discrete water quality data of different pollution parameters from an Italian database. The methodology is rigorous and effective for characterising the dynamics of different pollutant types in wet-weather runoff, allowing an assessment of the first flush strength and the detection of the runoff volume required to reduce concentrations to background levels peculiar of the catchment.

Performance of stormwater detention tanks for urban drainage systems in northern Italy.

The performance of stormwater detention tanks with alternative design configurations (insertion in the storm sewer network; volume per impervious hectare) and operating conditions (continuous and intermittent emptying rules) have been evaluated according to an integrated approach. Various performance indices have been adopted to describe the mitigation of the pollution impact to the natural environment, the reduction of the management and maintenance charges for the urban drainage system, the preservation of the normal purification efficiency, and the limitation of the costs at the treatment plant. The US EPA Storm Water Management Model has been used to simulate the rainfall-runoff process and the pollutant dynamics on theoretical catchments and storm sewer networks for an individual event, as well as for a continuous run of events and inter event periods of one year recorded at the rain gauge of Cascina Scala (Pavia, northern Italy).