ABSTRACT
In the Campania region the number of rain induced flowslides has significantly increased in the last decades. Flowslides involve pyroclastic soil layers no thicker than 2 meters inclined between 30◦–45◦, mantling carbonaceous and tuffaceous slopes close to the Vesuvius volcano and the volcanic area of the Campi Flegrei Soils involved are non plastic silty sands with high porosity (ranging between 60-80%). The high porosity, the lack of electrochemical forces between soil particles and conditions at saturation or near saturation are considered to be the main factors determining soil liquefaction upon failure (Olivares & Picarelli, 2003). As a consequence, the sliding mass accelerates significantly, transforming into a rapid flowslide. The high kinetic energy associated to the soil mass is what mainly causes damages to buildings and infrastructures, along with casualties.
