Title High-resolution 3D FEM stability analysis of the Sabereebi Cave Monastery, Georgia /
Authors Domej, Gisela ; Previtali, Marco ; Castellanza, Riccardo ; Spizzichino, Daniele ; Crosta, Giovanni B ; Villa, Alberto ; Fusi, Nicoletta ; Elashvili, Mikheil ; Margottini, Claudio
DOI 10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z
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Is Part of Rock mechanics and rock engineering.. Wien : Springer. 2022, vol. 55, iss. 8, p. 5139-5162.. ISSN 0723-2632. eISSN 1434-453X
Keywords [eng] Slope stability ; Soft rock ; Static analysis ; Point cloud processing ; 3D FEM ; Geoarchaeology
Abstract [eng] 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.
Published Wien : Springer
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2022
CC license CC license description