Monitoring of historical structures by DInSAR displacement measurements in areas exposed to multiple hazards

Satellite-based earth observation represents an emerging technology used for remote structural monitoring of civil and historical constructions at a large scale. Displacement measures coming from satellite interferometry are successfully adopted to monitor the serviceability displacements of single structures covering long time intervals. On this topic, it is evident that the satellite interferometry represents a valid technique to perform remotesensing monitoring approach for the protection and the risk mitigation of the built environment located in multi-hazard areas. This paper presents the validation of an operational framework developed to support multiscale monitoring of historical structures through satellite interferometry data. Leveraging consolidated workflows for raw satellite data processing, available remote sensing data, and integrating limited yet essential structural information on the assets of interest, the technical challenges associated with the use of satellite-derived measurements for the structural health monitoring of historical constructions are addressed. The attention is focused particularly on a really challenging area, namely the Phlegrean Fileds area in the bay of Naples (Italy), exposed to volcanic hazard and particularly to the bradyseism phenomenon. Natural and built environment in the area, indeed, are subjected to frequent and seismic events, mainly superficial and affected by low to medium magnitudes, in combination with crustal deformations – currently made of surface uplifts. In such context, the problem is approached from the perspective of the structural engineer and at the scale of the single structure and with reference to archaeological assets.