Unit Construction of Road Infrastructures
- Course
- Civil engineering
- Study-unit Code
- A003305
- Curriculum
- Ingegneria delle infrastrutture
- Teacher
- Gianluca Cerni
- Teachers
-
- Gianluca Cerni
- Hours
- 48 ore - Gianluca Cerni
- CFU
- 5
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2026
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Ingegneria civile
- Sector
- CEAR-03/A
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- The course mainly covers the following topics: soils, mineral aggregates, bitumen rheology, asphalt mixtures for road pavements, and pavement design.
- Reference texts
- F.A. Santagata e altri, STRADE - TEORIA E TECNICA DELLE COSTRUZIONI STRADALI, vol.II - costruzione, gestione e manutenzione, Editore Pearson
P. Ferrari, F. Giannini "Ingegneria stradale" volume II - ISEDI
G. Tesoriere "Strade ferrovie ed aeroporti" volume II - UTET - Educational objectives
- The course aims to provide all the fundamental elements required for the construction of a road infrastructure. The expected learning outcomes are as follows.
The main knowledge acquired will concern the performance properties of the materials used in road infrastructure construction, which are necessary for the proper and rational design of pavement structures.
The main skills acquired will be the ability to design and construct road pavement structures. - Prerequisites
- The knowledge required to understand the course contents and achieve the intended learning outcomes is as follows:
Mathematical Analysis: study of functions, differentiation and integration techniques, differential equations.
Structural Mechanics: continuum mechanics, stress and strain analysis, constitutive equations, elasticity. - Teaching methods
- The course consists of lectures and, where applicable, practical sessions in the Materials Testing Laboratory – Road Infrastructure Section.
- Other information
- Learning verification modality
- The assessment of the learning outcomes consists of an oral examination.
The oral examination consists of a discussion lasting approximately 30–45 minutes and is aimed at assessing: (i) the level of knowledge of the theoretical and methodological contents of the course; (ii) the ability to explain the methodologies used in the construction of road infrastructures; and (iii) the student's independent judgment in selecting the most appropriate approach for the design and construction of a road pavement.
The oral examination also aims to assess the student's ability to discuss the topics proposed by the Examination Committee using appropriate technical terminology, to engage in critical discussion during the examination, and to summarize the practical implications and applications of the theories studied.
The final grade is awarded by the Examination Committee on a scale from 0 to 30, with 18/30 being the minimum passing grade.
For information on support services available to students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (SLD), please visit: http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa - Extended program
- The course aims to provide all the fundamental elements required for the construction of a road infrastructure. The syllabus is organized into the following teaching units.
Soils: classification, compaction, and subgrade bearing capacity
Particle size distribution analysis by sieving. Determination of water susceptibility (Atterberg limits). Soil classification criteria (Group Index and UNI 10006 classification system). Laboratory compaction studies (Proctor test). Field compaction and density control. Empirical and rational methods for evaluating bearing capacity (Boussinesq and Westergaard theories, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), static and dynamic plate load tests, cyclic triaxial tests).
Mineral aggregates: physical, chemical, and mechanical properties
Physical properties (classification, shape index and flakiness index, porosity and specific gravity, macrotexture and microtexture, sand equivalent). Chemical properties (effects on bitumen–aggregate adhesion and moisture-induced damage). Mechanical properties (Los Angeles abrasion test, Micro-Deval test, Polished Stone Value).
Organic binders: bitumen rheology
Bitumen production process. Fundamentals of bitumen chemistry. Rheological behaviour of bitumen at high temperatures (flow curves, viscometers, mixing and compaction temperatures). Bitumen ageing. Bitumen as a viscoelastic material at intermediate temperatures (complex modulus, determination of rutting and fatigue cracking limiting temperatures). Bitumen as a brittle material at low temperatures (determination of thermal cracking temperature). Empirical tests (penetration test, ring-and-ball softening point test, Fraass breaking point test, and ductility test).
Road pavement mixtures: mix design and mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures
Mixture composition. Aggregate blend design. Determination of optimum bitumen content using the voids and specific surface area method. Marshall mix design method. Determination of bitumen content and air voids. Gyratory compactor. Stiffness modulus. Production, laying, and quality control of asphalt mixtures.
Pavement design
Fatigue laws. Rutting performance curves. Traffic loading. Fundamentals of empirical pavement design. Mechanistic design of flexible pavements (stress-strain analysis, fatigue damage calculation and verification, and rut depth prediction).