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Rockfall hazard analysis for an historical Castle in Kastamonu (Turkey)

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Abstract

The Kastamonu Castle located on a sandstone hill with Eocene age is one of the most historical and touristic places in Kastamonu city center. The settlement of the city expanded towards the hill of the Kastamonu Castle and adversely affected by rockfalls in the past. The rockfall problems around the castle could be related to jointing, weathering, freezing-thawing and earthquake effects or a combination. In this study, the rockfall hazard at the castle is evaluated by two-dimensional rockfall analyses along 17 profiles selected in different orientations. Different size of rock blocks and various types of movements are taken into consideration in the analyses. Fall-out distance, bounce height, kinetic energy and velocity of the sandstone blocks are separately evaluated. The obtained data are used to define the possible rockfall hazard zones. Finally, the areas having potential rockfall risks are distinguished. Based on the evaluation of the data, rock bolting after removing of unstable blocks and supporting the area with the protective fences are suggested.

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Acknowledgments

This study is financially supported by METU-BAP Project. The authors gratefully acknowledge Kastamonu Municipality for their support during the field study and providing documents related to the Castle. The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

    T. Topal

  2. Yuzuncu Yil Üniversity, Van, Turkey

    M. K. Akin & M. Akin

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Correspondence to T. Topal.

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Topal, T., Akin, M.K. & Akin, M. Rockfall hazard analysis for an historical Castle in Kastamonu (Turkey). Nat Hazards 62, 255–274 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-011-9995-1

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