This study assesses the static stability of the artificial Sabereebi Cave Monastery southeast of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. The cliff into which these Georgian-Orthodox caverns, chapels, and churches were carved consists of a five-layered sequence of weak sedimentary rock—all of which bear a considerable failure potential and, consequently, pose the challenge of preservation to geologists, engineers, and archaeologists. In the first part of this study, we present a strategy to process point cloud data from drone photogrammetry as well as from laser scanners acquired in- and outside the caves into high-resolution CAD objects that can be used for numerical modeling ranging from macro- to micro-scale. In the second part, we explore four distinct series of static elasto-plastic finite element stability models featuring different levels of detail, each of which focuses on specific geomechanical scenarios such as classic landsliding due to overburden, deformation of architectural features as a result of stress concentration, material response to weathering, and pillar failure due to vertical load. With this bipartite approach, the study serves as a comprehensive 3D stability assessment of the Sabereebi Cave Monastery on the one hand; on the other hand, the established procedure should serve as a pilot scheme, which could be adapted to different sites in the future combining non-invasive and relatively cost-efficient assessment methods, data processing and hazard estimation.

Domej, G., Previtali, M., Castellanza, R., Spizzichino, D., Crosta, G., Villa, A., et al. (2022). High-Resolution 3D FEM Stability Analysis of the Sabereebi Cave Monastery, Georgia. ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING, 55(8), 5139-5162 [10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z].

High-Resolution 3D FEM Stability Analysis of the Sabereebi Cave Monastery, Georgia

Domej, G
;
Castellanza, R;Crosta, GB;Villa, A;Fusi, N;
2022

Abstract

This study assesses the static stability of the artificial Sabereebi Cave Monastery southeast of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. The cliff into which these Georgian-Orthodox caverns, chapels, and churches were carved consists of a five-layered sequence of weak sedimentary rock—all of which bear a considerable failure potential and, consequently, pose the challenge of preservation to geologists, engineers, and archaeologists. In the first part of this study, we present a strategy to process point cloud data from drone photogrammetry as well as from laser scanners acquired in- and outside the caves into high-resolution CAD objects that can be used for numerical modeling ranging from macro- to micro-scale. In the second part, we explore four distinct series of static elasto-plastic finite element stability models featuring different levels of detail, each of which focuses on specific geomechanical scenarios such as classic landsliding due to overburden, deformation of architectural features as a result of stress concentration, material response to weathering, and pillar failure due to vertical load. With this bipartite approach, the study serves as a comprehensive 3D stability assessment of the Sabereebi Cave Monastery on the one hand; on the other hand, the established procedure should serve as a pilot scheme, which could be adapted to different sites in the future combining non-invasive and relatively cost-efficient assessment methods, data processing and hazard estimation.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
3D FEM; Geoarchaeology; Point cloud processing; Slope stability; Soft rock; Static analysis;
English
7-giu-2022
2022
55
8
5139
5162
open
Domej, G., Previtali, M., Castellanza, R., Spizzichino, D., Crosta, G., Villa, A., et al. (2022). High-Resolution 3D FEM Stability Analysis of the Sabereebi Cave Monastery, Georgia. ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING, 55(8), 5139-5162 [10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z].
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
10281-390290_VoR.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia di allegato: Publisher’s Version (Version of Record, VoR)
Licenza: Creative Commons
Dimensione 9.3 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
9.3 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/390290
Citazioni
  • Scopus 4
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 2
Social impact