TC301 Historic Sites

Organization of Symposia and workshops with the aim to exchange and compare experiences and to collect case histories. Two international symposia were already organized in Naples in 1996 and 2013. A special volume titled "Geotechnics and Heritage" was also published in 2013, containing invited lectures related to exemplary case records. The first J. Kerisel Special Lecture was successfull delivered by prof. Giovanni Calabresi during the 2013 ICSMGEin Paris . The second Kerisel Lecture was successfully delivered by prof. Carlo Viggiani in occasion of the 2017 Seoul ICSMGE. In 2015, two special issues of the Rivista Italiana di Geotecnica (Italian Geotechnical Journal) have been promoted with the aim of collecting additional case histories. A workshop was planned during the ECSMGE in Edinburgh and during the ICSMGE in Seoul.

Preservation of monuments and historic sites is one of the most challenging problems facing modern civilization. It involves in inextricable patterns various cultural, humanistic, social, technical and economic aspects. The complexity of the topic is such that a shared framework of reference is still lacking among art historians, architects, structural and geotechnical engineers. This is proved by the fact that, although there are exemplary cases of an integral saving of any structural components with its static and architectural function, as a material witness of the knowledge, the culture and the construction techniques of the original historical period, there are still examples of uncritical confidence in modern technology which leads to the replacement of previous structures with new ones, which only preserve an iconic appearance of the original monument.

For these reasons publishing short books on specialized topics, like well documented case studies of restoration works at one specific site or of a monument, or detailed overviews of construction techniques, intended as a material witness of knowledge of the historical period in which the monuments were built, or specific conservation/preservation works, may be of great value.

The audience for such books should be professionals and academics in the wider fields of civil engineering, architecture and cultural resources management, and particularly those involved in art history, history of architecture, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, archaeology, restoration and cultural heritage management, and even the wider public.

Forthcoming titles in the series

1. General principles of preservation with emphasis on geotechnical aspects, by Giovanni Calabresi and Salvatore D’Agostino

2. The stabilization of the leaning tower of Pisa, by John Burland, Michele Jamiolkowski and Carlo Viggiani

3. The Pienza Cathedral, by Giovanni Calabresi

4. The restoration of Ghirlandina Tower in Modena and the assessment of soil-structure interaction by means of dynamic identification techniques, by Rossella Cadignani, Renato Lancellotta and Donato Sabia

5. The cathedrals of Pisa, Siena and Florence. The medieval building works, by Luca Giorgi and Pietro Matracchi

6. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City, by Efrain Ovando Shelley

7. Protecting the Sagrada Familia and Casa Milà from tunnelling construction, by Eduardo Alonso

8. Are the requirements of modern civilization compatible with the preservation of historic sites? The construction of the underground line in Naples, by Giulia Viggiani

The book series page has now been activated on the Publisher website, because the first book on the Ghirlandina tower is now in production. This is the link to the series page:
https://www.crcpress.com/Built-Heritage-and-Geotechnics/book-series/BHG

Contact / Further details

Series Editor: Prof. Renato Lancellotta (renato.lancellotta@formerfaculty.polito.it)
Publisher: Alistair Bright (Alistair.Bright@taylorandfrancis.com)

Third Napoli (Italy) International Conference of TC301 of ISSMGE

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MONUMENTS AND HISTORIC SITES

Date: 22-24 June 2022

Preliminary bulletin and call for papers

The conservation of monuments and historic sites is one of the most challenging problems facing modern civilization. It involves, in inextricable patterns, factors belonging to different fields (cultural, humanistic, social, technical, economical, administrative) and the requirements of safety and use appear (and often are) in conflict with the respect of the integrity of the monuments.

The complexity of the topic is such that a shared framework of reference is still lacking among art historians, architects, structural and geotechnical engineers.

This is proved by the fact that, although there are exemplary cases of an integral saving of any structural component with its static and architectural function, as a material witness of the culture and the construction techniques of the original historical period, there are still examples of uncritical confidence in modern technology which lead to the replacement of previous structures with new ones, which only preserve an iconic appearance of the original monument.

The possibility of finding in practice an acceptable equilibrium is linked to the development of a shared culture. For this reason, the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering promoted over 30 years ago an ad hoc Committee (on Preservation of Monuments and Historic Sites), as suggested by Jean Kerisel and Arrigo Croce. Since that founding period, a number of international and regional symposia have been organised, and in recognition of his pioneering work a honour lecture has been dedicated to Jean Kerisel. The first Kerisel Lecture was delivered  at  International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) in 2013 in Paris; the second one at the ICSMGE in Seoul in 2017, and the third one will be offered during next International Conference of the TC301, which is now announced and will be held in Naples in June 2022, following the successful tradition started with the previous ones in 1996 and 2013.

Moving from general principles and maintenance strategies of conservation, the conference is addressed not only to geotechnical engineers but also to professionals from other disciplines to debate what is worth preserving and how is it possible. The contribution of investigation and monitoring, performed to reach a deep knowledge of the monument and its construction history, a prerequisite of any maintenance strategy, is a corollary theme of the conference. 

In addition to basic requirements regarding the safegarding and preservation of a single monument, a further very important task to be debated concerns the compatibility of demand of modern civilization with the preservation of historic sites and heritage. There is a need of

expanding the reference terms, by considering the effects of urban developments and tunneling on built heritage, as well as considering the preservation of "diffuse heritage", i.e. problems related to the scale of urban environment (slope stability, natural and man induced subsidence, underground infrastructures).

Dynamic identification analyses, effects of local soil condition and influence of soil-structure interaction are further demanding themes to be addressed in relation to seismic risk and mitigation measures.     

important dates 

abstract submission: 31 May 2021 

abstract acceptance: 30 June 2021 

full paper submission: 30 November 2021 

final paper acceptance: 28 February 2022

main topics 

• principles of conservation, maintenance strategies, case histories 

• the knowledge: investigations and monitoring 

• seismic risk, site effects, soil-structure interaction 

• effects of urban development and tunnellingon built heritage 

• preservation of diffuse heritage: soil instability, subsidence, environmental damages 

 http://www.tc301-napoli.org