Full professor in the SSD ING-IND/28 sector (Excavation Engineering and Safety) at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture (DICAAR), Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari. Contacts: Tel: +39 070 6755529 – E-mail: vdentoni@unica.it

On January 1993 she obtained her degree with honours in Civil Engineering (since 1994 she has been registered with the Professional Order of Engineers in Cagliari).

In 1993 she won a scholarship awarded by Cagliari University within the CEE-COMETT MEDITERRANEAN programme to work as junior researcher at the Timber Technology Center of the Dublin Institute of Technology (Bolton Street), Ireland, where she worked for 6 months (1994).

From 1994 to 1998 she worked as free-lance structural engineer and at the technical offices of Public Works in the Municipality of Cagliari (12 months contract).

From 1998 to 2001 she was a doctorate student in Geoengineering (XIV cycle) at the Department of Geoengineering and Environmental Technologies (DIGITA) in Cagliari University. In April 2002, she obtained her PhD title in Geoengineering. 

In 2001 she was awarded a Research Grant at Cagliari University to work as researcher (from 2001 to 2004) with the programme: Safety and hygiene at work and the environment in geoengineering.

From 2004 to 2010 she was senior researcher (SSD ING-IND 28: Excavation Engineering and Safety) of the Department of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Architecture (DICAAR), Faculty of Engineering and Architecture - Cagliari University.

From January 2011 to September 2023 she was associate professor at DICAAR. In 2018 you obtained the national scientific qualification (SSN) as full professor in the SSD ING-IND 28. From September 2023 she is full professor at DICAAR. 

Language skills

Cambridge CAE certification (Certificate of Advanced English) corresponding to C1 level of THE European reference framework CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Specialization courses and professional qualifications 

In 1997 she attended the course on Health and Safety at Construction Sites (Construction Sites Directive) to obtained the license to act as Safety Coordinator (120 hour course organized by the Industrial Association of the Province of Cagliari).

In 1998 she attended the course on fire prevention, for the inclusion in the lists of the Ministry of the Interior (100-hour course, organized by Ordine degli Ingegneri di Cagliari).

From 2006 she is included in the National List ENTECA as Technician in Environmental Acoustics.

University teaching activity

From 2005 she has carried out her teaching activity for the following academic courses, in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Cagliari University:

2005 - 2010: Workplace Safety and Environmental Defense I (60 hours - 6 CFU).

2008 – 2009: Workplace Safety and Environmental Defense II (60 hours – 6 CFU).

From 2011 to date: Professional Health and Safety (SSL) (60 hours - 6 credits).

From 2012 to date: Safety and Work Organization at the Construction Site (SOLC) (60 hours - 6 CFU).

From 2012 to 2021: Laboratory of Safety and Work Organization at the Construction Site (Lab SOLC) (25 hours - 3 CFU).

In 2012-13, she also held the course on Workplace Safety and Construction Site Management, as part of the Active Training Internships (TFA) organized by Cagliari University for the teaching qualification class A016 (Construction, construction technology and technical drawing).

As part of the professional courses organized by the Department of Electrical Engineering (Cagliari University) and dedicated to Managers and Employees of Prevention and Protection Services, she held the lessons on Risk of Professional Exposure to Mechanical Vibrations (WBV and HAV).

Supplementary teaching and student service activities

From 1998 to 2012 she carried out supplementary teaching activities at the Faculty of Engineering of Cagliari University as part of the courses of Workplace Safety and Environmental Defense I (SLDA I) and Workplace Safety and Environmental Defense II (SLDA II), held by prof. Giorgio Massacci.

She has been supervisor of over 25 degree theses (mainly for the Master's Degree course in Environmental Engineering) and coordinator of internship activities for various study courses of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (field of internships: Health and Safety in the Workplace).

She was/is the supervisor for the following doctoral programs in Earth and Environmental Sciences and Technologies(STTA) at the University of Cagliari:

Emissions of solid particulates from the surfaces of tailings basins exposed to wind erosion. PhD student: FRANCESCO PINNA (XXXIII cycle).

Modeling of geogenic Radon in Sardinia and health risk assessment in public buildings and workplaces. PhD student: MIRSINA MOUSAVI AGDAM. UNIQUE scholarship reserved for foreign doctoral students (XXXIII cycle).

Industrial wind erosion: assessment of Particulate Matter (PM) emission factors from stockpiles of granular materials. PhD student: OUIZA BOUAROUR. SINGLE scholarship reserved for foreign doctoral students (XXXVI cycle).

Definition of an integrated methodology for the estimation of site-specific emission factors of surfaces of granular materials exposed to wind erosion. Doctoral student: ALESSIO LAI (XXXVIII cycle).

She has been a reviewer of a number of doctoral theses on Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Impact Assessment (Bologna, Roma Sapienza, Roma Tre and POLITO).

Training activities for bodies/associations external to the university

Since 1997 she has carried out her teaching activities as part of various training courses on Occupational Health and Safety, required by the national law (Legislative Decree 81/08), organized by the Industrial Association of Cagliari, Industrial Association of Oristano, Order of Architects of Cagliari, Order of Geologists of the Sardinia Region, College of Agricultural Experts and Industrial Experts of the Cagliari, Construction School of Cagliari, Committee Territorial Joint Committee of the Cagliari (CPT).

Main collaborations with national and international universities or research institutes

Collaboration with the Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland. Research activity on the topic of solid particulate emissions from stockpiles of industrial materials (industrial wind erosion), as part of Ouiza Bouarour's doctoral program. Supervisor at TCD: Aonghus McNabola. Research products: 1 publication in an indexed international journal.

Collaboration with the Center for the Environment (School of Natural Sciences), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland. Research activity on exposure to geogenic Radon and risk mapping (GRP maps), as part of the doctoral program of Mirsina Mousavi Aghdam. Supervisor at TCD: Quentin Crowley. Research products: 2 publications in indexed international journals.

Collaboration with the University of Nottingham, UK. Research activity on the topic of the impact of fine dust produced by excavation and safety activities of mining landfills, as part of Letizia Piras' doctoral program. Supervisor at University of Nottingham: Ian S. Lowndes. Research products: 1 publication in an indexed international journal.

Collaboration with the CNR (National Research Council), as part of the UNICA-IGAG (Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering) association agreement. Research activity on the topic of noise generated by excavation technologies based on the use of high-speed water jets (waterjets). IGAG reference researcher: A. Bortolussi. Research products: 1 publication in an indexed international journal; 3 publications on international conference proceedings.

Collaboration with IGP-NRI Institute (Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute). Research activity on visual impact generated by excavation activities. The activity concerned, in particular, the application of the impact indicator Lvi (Level of Visual Impact) to the quarries and open-pit mines of the Polish Carpathians. IGP-NRI reference researcher: B. D. Radwanek-B?k. Research products: 1 publication in an indexed international journal; 1 publication on international conference proceedings.

Collaboration in research activities concerning professional health and safety at temporary and mobile construction sites, as part of the memorandum of understanding between INAIL (National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work), DIGITA (Department of Geoengineering and Environmental Technologies ) and CPT (Territorial Joint Committee of the Province of Cagliari). The activity involved field sampling and post-elaboration data of mechanical vibrations transmitted by operating machines (WBV) and manual equipment (HAV) used on road tunnel excavation sites, for the purposes of establishing the INAIL Vibration Database (BDV – INAIL). Research products: 1 publication in an indexed national journal; 3 publications on conference proceedings (national and international).

From March to September 1994 she carried out her research activity at the Timber Technology Centre, Dublin Institute of Technology (Technological University Dublin), Ireland. Research area: Use of laminated wood in construction.

Affiliation to academies of recognized prestige in the relevant SSD

From 2005 to 2016: association with the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG) of the CNR.

Organization or participation as a speaker in international scientific conferences

Member of the International Organizing Committee of the SWEMP (International Symposium on Environmental Issues and Waste Management in Energy and Mineral) conferences.

Speaker at the international conferences MPES (Mine Planning & Equipment Selection) and SWEMP (International Symposium on Environmental Issues and Waste Management in Energy and Mineral), with the following contributions:

• DENTONI, V. Vibration risk for drivers of earth-moving machinery: assessment of the seat dynamic efficiency. In: proc. of the 17th International Symposium on Mine Planning & Equipment Selection, Beijing, China, 20th-22nd October 2008, 295-306. Jin Shu Kuang Shan (Metal Mine), Beijing. ISSN 1001-1250.

• DENTONI, V.; MASSACCI, G.; PIRAS, L. Vibrations transmitted by hand-held electric tools used in mining and mine remediation activities. In proceedings of the 17th International Symposium on Mine Planning & Equipment Selection, Beijing, China, 20th-22nd October 2008, 500-509. Jin Shu Kuang Shan (Metal Mine), Beijing. ISSN 1001-1250.

• DENTONI, V. & MASSACCI, G. Whole-body vibrations in mining remediation activities. In proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Environmental Issues and Waste Management in Energy and Mineral Production, Bangkok, Thailand, 11th-13th December 2007, 175-186. The reading matrix inc, Irvine, CA (USA). ISSN 1913-6528. ISBN 978-0-9784416-0-9

• DENTONI, V.; MASSACCI, G.; CONTINI, A.; MURA, P.; PRESICCI, V.; PERRA, A. Whole body vibration in road tunnel excavation. In proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection, Wroclaw, Poland, 1st-3rd September 2004, 767-771. Taylor & Francis, London. ISBN 04-1535-937-6

Affiliation to academies of recognized prestige in the relevant SSD

From 2005 to 2016, association with the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG) of the CNR.

2003-2004, collaboration in the drafting of the guidelines for the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) procedures concerning mining and quarrying activities, within the scope of the agreement between R.A.S. (Autonomous Region of Sardinia) and the Temporary Business Association established by PROGEMISA (Sardinian Society for Georesource Valorization), CINIGEO (National Interuniversity Consortium for Georesource Engineering between the Universities of Bologna, Cagliari, Trieste and Rome Sapienza), DIGITA (Department of Geoengineering and Environmental Technologies) and DIT (Territorial Engineering Department), having as its object: Rationalization and simplification of environmental impact assessment procedures and integration of the resources and functionality of SIVEA - Environmental Information System and Environmental Education Service.

Since 2005, collaboration in the study and consultancy activities carried out by CINIGEO (National Inter-University Consortium for Georesource Engineering, between the Universities of Bologna, 

MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY AND PARTICIPATION IN COMMISSIONS

From July 2021 she is the Coordinator of the professional degree course in Techniques for Building Construction and Land Development (LP01). In the role of Coordinator, she participated in numerous orientation events and various technical tables with the main stakeholders (Regional School Management, Higher Technical Institutes, Colleges and Professional Associations, Assindustria, National Association of Building Contractors and Small Business Associations).

From September 2021 and until the ministerial accreditation, she was a member of the promoting committee in charge of designing the LP01 professional degree course (UNICA strategic objective). As Internship Representative for the same degree course she involved more than 50 companies/professional firms/public bodies in the Internship agreement with Cagliari University.

Between 2015 and 2021, she was part of various Commissions of the Course of Studies in Environmental Engineering (IAT): European Self-Assessment and Accreditation Commission (CAV), Joint Teacher-Student Commission (CPDS) and Internship Commission. 

In 2017, in her role CPDS member, she participated in the evaluation visits of the CEV (Commissions of Evaluation Experts) for the accreditation of Cagliari University (evaluation visits concluded with a positive outcome).

From 2017 to today she has continuously been Aggregate Commissioner for the State Exams for Environmental Engineers (Geoengineering Section).

From 2009 to 2018 she was a member of the Technical-Scientific Committee (CTS) of the University Language Center (CLA) in Cagliari (UNICA), in the role of Representative of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.

Since its establishment (XXIX cycle), she has been a member of the teaching body of the Doctorate in Earth and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (STTA), in Cagliari University.

She was part of the judging commission for the entrance exams to the XXXIII cycle and the XXXVIII cycle (with additional PNRR scholarships) of the STTA Doctorate, at the University of Cagliari.

She was part of the judging commission for the final exams of the STTA Doctorate (XXXIII cycle), at the University of Cagliari, and for the final exams of the Doctorate in Management, Production and Design (XXXII cycle), at the Polytechnic of Turin (POLITO).

She was part of the judging commission of the public competition for a permanent position as Second Level Manager, for the needs of the Environment, Safety, Quality and Audit Directorate of the University of Cagliari (DIR / ASQA 2019).

She was Commissioner of many recruitment procedures for research fellows and scholarship holders at Cagliari University.

Update: April 2024

The scientific publications can be found on the IRIS UNICA site https://iris.unica.it/