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

Gisela Domej; Marco Previtali; Riccardo Castellanza; Daniele Spizzichino; Giovanni B. Crosta; Alberto Villa; Nicoletta Fusi; Mikheil Elashvili; Claudio Margottini

doi:10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z

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

Gisela Domej (Lead / Corresponding author)
, Marco Previtali
, Riccardo Castellanza
, Daniele Spizzichino
, Giovanni B. Crosta
, Alberto Villa
, Nicoletta Fusi
, Mikheil Elashvili
, Claudio Margottini

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

193 Downloads (Pure)

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5139-5162
Number of pages	24
Journal	Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
Volume	55
Issue number	8
Early online date	7 Jun 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z
Publication status	Published - Aug 2022

Keywords

3D FEM
Geoarchaeology
Point cloud processing
Slope stability
Soft rock
Static analysis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Civil and Structural Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Geology

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10.1007/s00603-022-02858-zLicence: CC BY

Final Published VersionFinal published version, 9.09 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{3fae40a2954d4a5fa0865b90ab7edf39,

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

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.",

keywords = "3D FEM, Geoarchaeology, Point cloud processing, Slope stability, Soft rock, Static analysis",

author = "Gisela Domej and Marco Previtali and Riccardo Castellanza and Daniele Spizzichino and Crosta, \{Giovanni B.\} and Alberto Villa and Nicoletta Fusi and Mikheil Elashvili and Claudio Margottini",

note = "Funding Information: The project was conducted within the framework of a {"}Multidisciplinary Survey and Monitoring of the Gareja Rock Cut Complex, the Monument of National Value{"} funded by the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia and managed by the Ilia State University, Georgia, together with the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Italy, and the support of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. Data used in this work was jointly acquired and, accordingly, belongs to all three institutions. Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",

year = "2022",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z",

language = "English",

volume = "55",

pages = "5139--5162",

journal = "Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering",

issn = "0723-2632",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - High-Resolution 3D FEM Stability Analysis of the Sabereebi Cave Monastery, Georgia

AU - Domej, Gisela

AU - Previtali, Marco

AU - Castellanza, Riccardo

AU - Spizzichino, Daniele

AU - Crosta, Giovanni B.

AU - Villa, Alberto

AU - Fusi, Nicoletta

AU - Elashvili, Mikheil

AU - Margottini, Claudio

N1 - Funding Information: The project was conducted within the framework of a "Multidisciplinary Survey and Monitoring of the Gareja Rock Cut Complex, the Monument of National Value" funded by the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia and managed by the Ilia State University, Georgia, together with the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Italy, and the support of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. Data used in this work was jointly acquired and, accordingly, belongs to all three institutions. Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).

PY - 2022/8

Y1 - 2022/8

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - 3D FEM

KW - Geoarchaeology

KW - Point cloud processing

KW - Slope stability

KW - Soft rock

KW - Static analysis

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85131569666

U2 - 10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z

DO - 10.1007/s00603-022-02858-z

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85131569666

SN - 0723-2632

VL - 55

SP - 5139

EP - 5162

JO - Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

JF - Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

IS - 8

ER -

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

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Keywords

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