Rock Deformation Monitoring at Cultural Heritage Sites in Slovakias

Abstract

The article deals with a socially important topic — preservation of cultural heritage in Slovakia. Current results of an engineering geological investigation of five medieval castles, one of them under the patrimony of UNESCO (Spis Castle) located in different geotechnical and engineering geological conditions are discussed. The obtained results are based upon an investigation program sponsored by the Ministry of Environment in which about 40 most prominent medieval castles or castle ruins have been investigated with the aim to recommend the remedial measures and thus to prevent their gradual disintegration. A following project focused on monitoring of the selected castle rocks showing instability problems was later carried out.

The results of engineering geological study and following monitoring showed, that the castles suffer from extremely slow displacement of creep character. This movement is caused mainly by the geologic structure and it is impossible to stop it or even reduce it. Since the monitoring results are influenced by seasonal periodic temerature changes a numerical modeling was used in order to understand better the landslide failure mechanism at Spis Castle site. Further a study of the thermal expansion as one of the potential triggering factors of the displacements observed in the castle’s subgrade was carried out.

The results gained during the study are of great value and are helpful in design of stabilization and preservation works.