Abstract
In this study, we analyzed the methods and technologies used for constructing earthworks and military engineering in the latter period before the industrial revolution in Poland. The research object, the Warsaw Citadel, is a source of knowledge about military heritage from the aspect of conservation and protection of specific engineering achievements, which were dictated by early Russian geopolitical doctrine. Within the framework of the ongoing project of material heritage protection and popularization of history, the fortress has been transformed into a modern museum building. The new symbolic message of architecture was redefined, leaving behind the gloomy dominance elements in the scenery of the nearby city. In this study, reception tests of ground anchors were used for analysis. They were treated as a tool to determine the heterogeneity of fortification of historical earthworks. In the presented calculation procedure, limitations in the availability of geotechnical tests were overcome. Geological terrain layout and embankment excavation technology significantly impacted their quality and reliability. Currently, the embankments are slashed with anchored retaining walls. Ground anchors were used at short distances and were tested according to the national standard procedures. The results of the load tests are based on the physical properties of the subsoil, the conditions of contact with the supporting elements of the anchors, and the material properties. The soil interaction with the anchors is described using a rheological model, the constants of which were obtained using a fractional derivative model. The spatial variability of the rheological model parameters is presented using theoretical semivariograms matching the empirical data. The semivariograms explain the spatial correlation of the tested constants of the rheological model of the substrate with the anchors. The results of non-destructive testing were influenced by factors such as time and consolidation processes. The obtained results allowed us to directly draw conclusions about the repetitiveness of embankment features and indirectly about the quality of their construction.
Highlights
Historical fortifications are today’s monuments of civil engineering and architectural art
The outline of this idea is demonstrated by the Warsaw Citadel; the tall walls were still the main defensive element here, and shooting positions were only covered with tiles, which was extremely dangerous for defenders
This paper presents the history of the Warsaw Citadel, especially the period of its construction related to embezzlement and irregularities mentioned by historians, which raised doubts about the quality of the earthworks
Summary
Historical fortifications are today’s monuments of civil engineering and architectural art. As earthworks are the basic construction element, their technical condition and quality played a key role in the efficacy of the defense The outline of this idea is demonstrated by the Warsaw Citadel; the tall walls were still the main defensive element here, and shooting positions were only covered with tiles, which was extremely dangerous for defenders. This is why the remaining complete fortifications developed throughout the 19th century are valuable as civil engineering infrastructure heritage. During World War II, German troops were stationed in the Warsaw Citadel It was the fortified defense point of the German army, having more of a gendarmerie than military function, as before. After the end of the war, the fortress passed into the hands of the Polish army, in which it has been to this day, including serving as the garrison headquarters in Warsaw
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