Fieldwork experience at the University of Florida
During a six-month research stay at the University of Florida (UF), Nicola Marodin, a master’s student in Environmental Engineering – Soil Protection and Water Management at the University of Padua, and involved in the Geotecnica Hands-on project, took part in fieldwork in Cedar Key, Florida, under the supervision of Professor Nina Stark and organized by the UF Center for Coastal Solutions.
The activity involved cone penetration testing with pore-pressure measurement (CPTu) at two locations along a tidal flat shoreline, separated by a few tens of metres. After the University of Florida technicians positioned and set up the equipment, a zero offsetting measurement was performed, followed by the main data acquisition. The system was then moved to the second location, where the investigation was repeated. Soil penetration depths of up to 4 m were reached where the cone refused on rock.
The training covered the main operational stages: preparation and deployment of the CPTu system, progressive connection of one-metre push rods to advance the cone to depth, and real-time visualization of the recorded data. The experience combined hands-on training with direct observation of geotechnical site investigation procedures in a coastal environment.
The collected data will allow to determine the tidal-flat stratigraphy and support the assessment of its evolution in terms of sediment composition and grain-size characteristics. The broader research objectives of this work are to identify the soil signatures left by hurricanes and severe storms, linking past events to the changes that may affect this dynamic coastal environment in the future, and understanding tidal flat soil mechanics.
