Planned economy presumes that all undertakings are premeditated and prepared in detail. The main condition for good planning is therefore reliable preparation of materials and a comprehensive knowledge of the problem, with due consideration of every factor involved.

The Istituto di Ricerca per la Protezione Idrogeologica (IRPI), of the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), designs and executes research, technical and development activities in the vast and variegated field of natural hazards, vulnerability assessment and georisk mitigation. We study all geo-hydrological hazards, including floods, landslides, erosion processes, subsidence, droughts, and hazards in coastal and mountain areas. We investigate the availability and quality of water, the exploitation of geo-resources, and the disposal of wastes. We research the expected impact of climatic and environmental changes on geo-hazards and georesources, and we contribute to the design of sustainable adaptation strategies. Our outreach activities contribute to educate and inform on geo-hazards and their consequences in Italy. <...>

While ancient man must have had some intuitive knowledge of geology, as evidenced by the feats of mining and civil engineering performed in the distant past, the present science of geology owes much of its origin to the civil engineers working in the eighteenth century. These engineers, while constructing the major engineering works associated with the industrial revolution, had the opportunity to view and explore excavations in rocks and soils. Some, intrigued by what they saw, began to speculate on the origin and nature of rocks, and the relationships between similar rocks found in different places. Their ideas and theories, based on the practical application of their subject, formed the groundwork for the development of geology as a science. Engineers such as Lewis Evans (1700–1756) in America, William Smith (1769–1839) in England, Pierre Cordier (1777–1862) in France and many others were the ‘fathers’ of Geology. <...>

There are two reasons why it is important to understand and use engineering rock mechanics units correctly: engineering rock mechanics calculations used for rock engineering design should be numerically correct; and to use engineering rock mechanics properly, an understanding of units is necessary.
We have used standard symbols and the SI (International System) of units. There are seven base units in the SI system: length, mass, time, electric current, thermodynamic temperature, amount of substance and luminous intensity. These base units are dimensionally independent.  <...>