Recherches sur les fondations de l'amphithéâtre de Nîmes (Gard)

Numerical analysis of historical masonry structures for stone degradation diagnosis : An application to the Roman Amphitheater of Nîmes

“…Furthermore, two previous studies carried out in 1984 [14] and 2005 [33] obtained very different results on the pressure applied on the ground by the foundations, resulting in contradictory interpretations. On one hand, the former one based on hand calculations, concluded that the dead load intensity and the foundation size were perfectly mastered by the Roman builders in relation with the soil capacity.…”

“…Archaeological excavations [14] have revealed that the foundations of the pillars are built at 3.38 m under the antic ground level. They are based on a compact substrate, locally named "sistre", like other Gallo-Roman monuments from the city.…”

“…Indeed, the relevance of the computational results directly depends on the block arrangements which activate specific resisting phenomena. Although such informations are provided by previous historical [12] and archaeological studies [14], [36], a geometrical generation constrained by a proper morphology can be time consuming without dedicated numerical process. It can be noticed that due to the elliptic shape of the amphitheatre, each voussoir from an arch or a vault is unique.…”