Performance of steel protective structure for historical masonry aqueducts against rockfall: Numerical and field studies

This study investigates the design and impact performance of novel steel protection system intended to safeguard historical masonry aqueducts from damage caused by hazardous rocks. The historical aqueduct under consideration is located on the Sumela Monastery campus. To achieve this, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) photogrammetric model of the study area and identified all risky blocks along with their real positions. Subsequently, we conducted 3200 probabilistic rockfall analyses in eight critical trajectories with four different rock sizes to calculate the velocity, kinetic energy, and run-out distance of fallen blocks. In the second part of the study, finite element models of the steel protective structure were created using Abaqus software. A nonlinear dynamic impact analysis method was applied to analyze nine rockfall scenarios with two different geometries and four different sizes. Based on the rockfall and impact analyses, sections of the protection structure were designed using plastic design criteria. The steel protection structure for aqueducts demonstrated high effectiveness against rockfall, with a risk index (Ir) ranging from 0.93 to 1.00 (except for the upper end of the column–beam connection impacts). Even in these scenarios, the structure provided protection by reducing rock energy and altering its trajectory. In the third part, a steel structure was constructed in the field, and a rock cleaning process was carried out. During rock cleaning, punctures occurred while breaking sharp rocks. To mitigate this risk, a parametric study was conducted using a steel angle stopper. The proposed simple steel angle stopper effectively reduced rockfall damage to historical structures by blocking rock passages and rapidly reducing kinetic energy. Ultimately, during the removal of 5000 m³ of hazardous rocks, no damage was inflicted on the historical structure. The protection system showed a near 100 % success rate in safeguarding the aqueduct. This temporary structure can be employed to protect historical structures from rockfall hazards. © 2024 The Authors