Surveys of weathering profile on gneiss cutslopes in northern Calabria, Italy

In engineering geological studies on weathered rocks a useful tool of investigation is represented by the survey of the weathering grade on cutslopes. The paper describes a methodology for the detailed survey of the weathering grade on natural and man-made cuts in gneiss. The methodology consists of three phases: 1) general characterization of the cutslope, 2) preliminary delimitation of the weathering zones, 3) final delimination of the weathering zones and characterization of the weathering grades. The proposed methodology has been tested on some cutslopes of a study area, located in the western portion of the Sila Massif (Northern Calabria, Italy), where deeply weathered gneiss crop out and are strongly affected by landsliding. The analysis puts into evidence a complex and deep weathering profile and permitted to obtain a characterization of the weathering classes identified in the investigated gneiss. This approach can improve our understanding of engineering geological problems, such as rockwall stability and landsliding.