Dynamic Response Assessment of the Acropolis Circuit Wall Using Structural-Health Monitoring, Big-Data Analytics, and Numerical Modelling
Dynamic Response Assessment of the Acropolis Circuit Wall Using Structural-Health Monitoring, Big-Data Analytics, and Numerical Modelling
Modern scientific methods play a key role in the preservation of Cultural Heritage, particularly when multiple approaches are combined. In the current study, a combined methodological framework is applied to the Acropolis of Athens, Greece, with a focus on the ancient Circuit (perimetre) Wall and its dynamic -seismic response. The Circuit Wall of the Acropolis of Athens functions as a masonry gravity retaining structure, supporting the backfill of the Hill plateau and ensuring the stability of the overlying monuments. This masonry gravity wall, constructed from mixed marble and stone, has been subjected over centuries to environmental degradation, human interventions, and repeated seismic loading, leading to locally observed structural distress. To assess its dynamic behaviour and seismic response, an advanced structural-health monitoring system based on Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) optical sensors has been deployed on its southern section. The monitoring system includes strain, temperature and acceleration sensors, providing continuous, high-frequency measurements over an extended monitoring period. The present study focuses on the optical-fibre acceleration sensor, which generated large-volume time-series data requiring dedicated big-data ingestion, processing and transformation techniques. Custom data pipelines implemented using R statistical software were developed to efficiently manage, clean, store and analyse the high-frequency recordings, enabling frequency-domain investigation and long-term trend extraction. In parallel, two-dimensional finite-element numerical models of the Wall-backfill-bedrock system were developed to investigate its seismic response under idealised and recorded ground motions. The combined use of high-resolution optical-fibre acceleration measurements, advanced data analytics, and numerical simulations establishes an integrated framework for the assessment of the seismic behaviour of complex heritage structures. A comparison between the acceleration records obtained from the optical-fibre sensor and the results of the computational investigation is subsequently carried out, aiming to evaluate the consistency between measured and simulated responses and to enhance confidence in both monitoring and modelling approaches for cultural heritage preservation.
Elena Kapogianni; Prodromos Psarropoulos; Georgios Sakellariou; Michael Sakellariou
4th International Symposium on the Preservation of Monuments and Historic Sites
Seismic Behaviour of Heritage Monuments: Observation, Modelling and Mitigation
https://doi.org/10.53243/tc301-2026-36