ABSTRACT The hollow enemy towers are iconic structures of the Great Wall. During a survey of the Ming Great Wall in Haigang District of Qinhuangdao, researchers observed differential weathering phenomena in the facade tops of 21 out of 51 well-preserved hollow enemy towers. Initially, high-precision 3D data of enemy towers was acquired using close-range photogrammetry from drones. The 3D surface metrology analysis software Mountains was introduced, in which the particle analysis module can use false-color images to calibrate and measure depressions on the 3D model surface, thereby enabling the identification and quantitative analysis of weathering and erosion areas on the top of the enemy towers’ facades. The study revealed that the upper regions of facades with the drainage troughs exhibited more pronounced weathering erosion compared to the areas without drainage troughs. Upon conducting an analysis of the structural integrity of the top drainage components and evaluating the slope and surface of the drainage system, it was determined that the primary water collection zones were located near the drainage troughs at both ends of enemy tower tops. Differential weathering at the top of enemy towers’ facades is primarily influenced by the varying amount of water accumulation, which serves as the decisive factor.
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