An Application of Engineering Tools to Archaeological Structures: Sa Covaccada Dolmen, Sardinia, Italy
摘要
This study focuses on evaluating the structural integrity of Sa Covaccada Dolmen, a late Neolithic monument in Sardinia, Italy. Despite being a unique and important site in the region, it suffers severe material deterioration and extensive cracking, but it has never undergone a structural assessment. Analytical rigid body analyses and discrete element (DEM) simulations were performed, contributing to a multidisciplinary teams of experts, and showing that structural engineering tools can offer valuable insights for conservation and repair of archaeological sites. The resulting load multipliers at collapse ranged between 2.0 and 6.3 (limit analysis) and between 1.20 and 1.45 (DEM), suggesting that the structure is in safe conditions. The two methodologies led to consistent results also in terms of collapse mechanism, which would involve the orthostat with the smaller base width, yielding a lower capacity against overturning.