Ruins and Archaeological Artifacts: Vulnerabilities Analysis for Their Conservation Through the Original Computer Program BrickWORK

Abstract

Architectural ruins in archeological sites constitutes cultural heritage of a country. Every day there is the risk of archaeological artifacts being lost or of undergoing a slow and progressive deterioration, for at least three reasons: the presence of visitors who are often the cause of damage, the material vulnerabilities and the intrinsic vulnerabilities of ruined constructions. Leaving aside the first type, material vulnerability is primarily due to chemical and physical transformations undergone by the artifact which has been buried for a long time. After excavation, their prolonged exposure to weathering, frost-thaw alternate cycles, humidity variation, etc., reduce mechanical properties of materials such as stones and mortars. Furthermore, ruined constructions are lacking in most of the original structural portions which acted as constraints and therefore they are in the condition of unstable equilibrium and are very vulnerable under seismic actions. Indeed, (timber) floors are the first members which undergo decay or collapse. Therefore, archaeological artifacts generally appear as a discontinuous set of walls or columns and consequently easily vulnerable. Lastly, ruins retain “memory” of past events, visible in the cracking patterns and collapses provoked by seismic events which make them even more vulnerable. In this paper the analysis of main vulnerabilities of ruined constructions is performed. The analysis is carried out on meaningful case studies in the archeological site of Pompeii and Arpino (Italy), using a structural software suitably developed by the authors, and provides data to allow one to propose targeted methodologies for protection and conservation.