The Acropolis Hill of Athens: Engineering Geological Investigations and Protective Measures for the Preservation of the Site and the Monuments

A Potential Mitigation Measure of the Seismic Distress of the Circuit Wall at the Acropolis of Athens

“…The limestone is actually a hard rock, while schist is considered to be a soft rock (Psarropoulos et al 2018). The thickness of the limestone does not exceed 40 m. The slopes of the hill are almost vertical with a varying height up to 25 m. On the other hand, the backfill material is thicker on the south side of the hill and it is retained by the Wall, while it is characterized as a soft soil material (Koukis et al 2015). In addition, rockfall phenomena and additional erosion phenomena have occurred due to limestone karstification that has created cavities that facilitate the water flow (Higgins and Higgins 1996;Koukis et al 2015).…”

“…6. Schist-Sandstone -marl series (adopted from Koukis et al 2015). Figure 7 Acceleration Ampli cation Factor (AF) for the examined section of the south Circuit Wall for the Ricker 6 Hz excitation.…”

Investigating the Stability of the Hill of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece, Using Fuzzy Logic and Remote Sensing Techniques

“…According to the World Heritage Convention, the Acropolis of Athens is considered as the most striking and complete ancient Greek monumental complex still existing in our times (UNESCO World Heritage Centre-World Heritage List), an impressive and recognizable monument of exceptional archaeological, historical and touristic value [1]. Over the long history of Acropolis monuments and its hill, there have been many efforts to monitor and evaluate the response of the structures and monuments along with the surrounding rock formations to natural and manmade hazards [2][3][4][5][6]. Specifically, the Circuit Wall of the Acropolis of Athens has encountered, during the past years, several structural problems associated with the distortions of the load-bearing structure (complete or partial section failure, displacement, bending of the structure and extensive cracking), and the defects of the structural materials (cracking, fractures, weathering/erosion, matter decline, and mortar corrosion).…”

“…Specifically, the Circuit Wall of the Acropolis of Athens has encountered, during the past years, several structural problems associated with the distortions of the load-bearing structure (complete or partial section failure, displacement, bending of the structure and extensive cracking), and the defects of the structural materials (cracking, fractures, weathering/erosion, matter decline, and mortar corrosion). In addition, the aging of the building materials has had a significant effect on the overall stability of the Circuit Wall since the 5th century BC, and the erosion phenomena, influenced by temperature changes, surface humidity, and pollutants, causes the progressive decrease in the mechanical strength of building materials [4,7]. The Acropolis Hill has encountered mainly erosion and rockfall phenomena.…”

“…Several researchers have reported the action of limestone karstification that has created cavities that facilitate the water flow and accelerate erosion phenomena [4,8,9]. Rockfalls have also been described as a frequent phenomenon that occur due to the combination of several factors, including topographic features (slope angle), rock mass conditions, pore pressure increase, mainly related to rainfall infiltration and/or freeze-thaw cycles, and other climatic variables, seismic activity, and vegetation conditions [4,10]. Combinations of the above have created highly unstable areas and cause concern for their capacity to safely react to occasional loads, such as seismic events and heavy rainfall.…”