Ricerc@Sapienza

Landfill monitoring requires knowledge of the landfill body's volumetric characteristics at frequent time intervals. In addition to this three-dimensional information, other information may also be useful, such as surface temperature, which may be influenced by the chemical, physical and geotechnical processes inherent in the development of the landfill itself. On the other hand, the logistical and environmental conditions normally encountered at such sites make it difficult to use traditional geomatic techniques.

The drones allow to acquire geometric and thematic information quickly and with considerable operational advantages in close range surveys. The lower flight altitude, and the possibility of rapidly replacing the sensors between panchromatic, multispectral and thermal sensors allow the detection of useful characteristics for monitoring and control, even periodically, of areas with reduced size.

Remote-pilot aircraft are developing very rapidly and their potential in the various fields is often still to be fully investigated. The possibility to fly over the areas to be surveyed without the need to access the areas themselves makes the use of UAVs in some cases certainly preferable for safety reasons, as has already been tested for the management of postdisaster areas. Waste landfills are small sites where contact with waste itself must be limited and scientific experimentation on surveying this specific type of site is currently limited.