Floating anchors for the stabilization of Cischele landslide in the Venetian Prealps

Due to its weather-climatic, geological and geomorphological conformation, Italy is particularly subject to geo-hydrological hazard. Almost 500,000 landslides have been recorded in Italy in a total area of 21,182 km2, representing the 7% of the national territory (ISPRA, 2014). New alarms intensify during exceptional rainfalls: for instance, in the first days of November 2010, in the Alpine foothills in Vicenza province (North-Eastern Italy), more than 500 landslides alarms have been registered (Floris et al., 2012). Therefore, the research for innovative and cost-effective solutions for risk mitigation and landslide stabilization has great scientific and socio-economic relevance. The paper deals with the main results of a research conducted for developing, both in theoretical and applied aspects, a new technique for the stabilization of landslides, called “floating anchor”. In particular, this paper focuses on the stabilization works and monitoring of a landslide located in the Cischele hamlet near Recoaro (Vicenza, Italy), in the Venetian Prealps, where an intervention with floating anchors have been set up.