A database for the Offshore Geotechnical Site Characterization of Italian Seas

Italy counts around 8300 km of coasts, including its islands, making marine activities crucial for the development of its economy. Increasing interest has been devoted to the offshore energy sector, where Italy has a brief tradition in the Oil and Gas industry and it is now opening to the possibility of an offshore renewable market. From this perspective, the most promising source is certainly represented by offshore wind. This paper aims to provide an overview from a geotechnical standpoint of the main characteristics of the Italian seabed along the eastern coast. A database is built starting from the experience and data gained in the Italian Oil and Gas sector over the past decades, which comprises data related to cone penetration tests (CPT), soil characterization and results from laboratory tests. The database could be used as a tool to support geotechnical engineering applications for both design and installation purposes, facilitating the transfer of knowledge toward renewable resources.