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Exploration of Early Civilization Through Restoring Structural Stability of DJOZER Step Pyramid (Part II)

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Recent Research in Sustainable Structures (GeoMEast 2019)

Part of the book series: Sustainable Civil Infrastructures ((SUCI))

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Abstract

Step pyramid is the major archaeological unit of Djoser complex at Saqqara archaeological site. It is suffering now from various and serious deterioration and degradation features from various sources Rescue and Restoration studies of the first stone building ever witnessed i.e. pyramid of Djozer, Sakkara site, Egypt, included several aspects. Aspects under consideration in present study are concerned with geotechnical and geo environmental impacts on Djozer pyramid deterioration features of sub-surface units.

Main aspects dealt with are analysis of causes and sources of structural deterioration features of subsurface units of the pyramid itself such as galleries and entrances, burial shaft and its ceiling failure zone, and burial chamber and granitic sarcophagus. Field study plan has been carried out to diagnose deterioration features, analysis of building material, find out properties and behavior of hosting rock media, and types of structural instabilities.

Analysis of results revealed that modes of structural instability of subsurface units took form as:

  • rock formation partial failure and collapses

  • change of galleries section, shape and dimensions

  • separation of roof rock formation

  • buckling in galleries walls

  • failure of rocks at the zones of intersect of galleries and vertical shaft

  • Failure and deterioration of exposed swelling clay formation hosting burial shaft walls, galleries, walls of burial chamber ….etc.

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References

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Acknowledgement

Authors are indeed thankful for following archaeologists and engineers for their help and encouragement, and their fruitful archaeological and engineering discussions which made present work and its results real and possible:

* Prof. Dr. Z. Hawas

* Arch. O. Shimy, K. Waheed, & S. Farag.

* Eng. W. Abu Ela

Finally thanks are due to SCA _ PS for financing the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering at Housing Building and Research Center, Cairo, Egypt

    Radwa Mahmoud

  2. Rock Mechanics & Underground Structures, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Hassan F. Imam

Authors
  1. Radwa Mahmoud
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  2. Hassan F. Imam
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hassan F. Imam .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Leiria, Portugal

    Hugo Rodrigues

  2. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska City, NE, USA

    George Morcous

  3. Expertise House for Engineering Consultant, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed Shehata

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Mahmoud, R., Imam, H.F. (2020). Exploration of Early Civilization Through Restoring Structural Stability of DJOZER Step Pyramid (Part II). In: Rodrigues, H., Morcous, G., Shehata, M. (eds) Recent Research in Sustainable Structures. GeoMEast 2019. Sustainable Civil Infrastructures. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34216-6_1

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