This paper presents the development, the operating principle, and the experimental results of an innovative technique for the measurement of acoustic pressures in the range of 40 mHz up to 5 Hz. This new measurement technique is based on the use of a Fabry Perot refractometer in which the air density variations related to an acoustic wave can be tracked and determined by measuring the optical frequency variations of a laser locked on a longitudinal mode of the Fabry Perot cavity. This approach covers a wider range in the low and infrasonic frequencies compared to conventional sensors.

Precise knowledge of cylinder pressure is needed for optimizing engine performance. To ensure reliability of measurements, pressure sensors need to be calibrated at conditions that correspond to actual use, i.e., at dynamic conditions and elevated temperatures. VTT has developed a dynamic pressure calibrator based on reference sensor principle to enable cost-effective dynamic calibrations up to 35 MPa at temperatures up to 200 °C. Moreover, a novel cylinder pressure sensor that can withstand the harsh conditions inside an engine was developed and the performance was validated in laboratory and inside a marine engine.

This paper deals with the metrological issue of the reliability in measurements. The evaluation of intermediate precision is discussed to assure repeatable data over time. As an example, the monitoring process of archaeological or historic discoveries needs that data coming from different measurements and performed in different time instants are comparable and traceable. Thermography is used here to evaluate the conservation state of metallic artefacts and their decay over time. Data on the integrity of an ancient iron oil lamp have been collected at different points in time. Intermediate precision has been computed to evaluate the data reliability so to guarantee the comparability of data. The proposed approach can allow getting accurate and consistent information on the discovery decay over time. Intermediate precision evaluation provides quantitative information about the effectiveness of the monitoring process and the reliability of its results.

The church of Santa Maria Maddalena d'Alga is located in the historic center of Palermo and belongs to the monumental complex of the military district of San Giacomo, in the ancient western fortified area of the city. Today the area hosts a vast military complex, seat of the Command of the Carabinieri Legion of Sicily. The church is elevated with respect to the current floor. During some maintenance works of the church, for the installation of air conditioners, some georadar surveys were carried out to verify the presence of crypts or tombs under the pavement. The investigations made it possible to reconstruct a 3D georadar model and to identify some anomalies under the pavement. Some of these correspond to rooms that have been opened during maintenance work.

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, in the Oltrarno area, was built in 1268 (pre- Renaissance low medieval context), consecrated in 1422. Due to a devastating fire in 1771 of the interior of the original church, very little remained, between the parts that managed to save including the Corsini and Brancacci chapels. The architect Giuseppe Ruggeri was responsible for the reconstruction of the church, which was completed in 1782 (with the exception of the gabled façade which remained unfinished, as it can still be seen today (in fact it has bricks and exposed stone elements). Geophysical investigations were undertaken into the Brancacci chapel in order to have information on the wall structure that contains the wall paintings by Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi, to understand the stratigraphy of the mortars and formulate some hypotheses on the causes of their detachment.. The results are interesting.