Monitoring of preparatory factors driving toward rock-block failures: Insights from Acuto Field Lab experiments (Italy)

Seasonal variations in continuous or transient environmental and anthropic stressors can act as preparatory factors of rock deformation driving to progressive damage up to failure on rocky slopes. To better assess the influence of these preparatory factors on slope stability, we present the long-term integrated monitoring of a 20 m3 rock block prone-to-failure outcropping on the quarry wall of the Acuto Field Laboratory (Italy). The monitoring system includes various ge-ophysical, geotechnical, and environmental devices connected to an automated storage and transmission system. To date, the collected data show robust relationships between action of stressors and resulting deformations, also supporting the quantification of inelastic defor-mation which can occur in rock mass under periodic stresses. The primary outcome herein de-scribed focuses on the effect of temperature changes over the rock surface and across joints, highlighting the response of major rock fractures and microcracks to the experienced tempera-ture fluctuations at different depths.