Impact Echo Testing and Wall Performance Analysis of a Collapsed Temple

The Temple of Antioch is a collapsed Roman temple in southern Turkey that is currently under investigation by principal investigator Dr. Ece Erdogmus. The motivation for research pertaining to this temple is to partially reconstruct the temple. My research investigated the structural integrity of the marble blocks from the temple currently on site and how the structure would function if reconstructed. To determine the integrity of the blocks, in-situ Impact Echo testing was carried out. Impact Echo testing uses the frequency of vibrations to detect voids and open spaces within solid materials. This summer, nine blocks from the cella walls were assessed and data was recorded. From the data, the structural integrity of these blocks was determined based on the amount of voids within the blocks; the less voids, the stronger it should be. From this, a scale was developed to categorize the blocks that can be used during reconstruction. The categorization includes a range of material properties, determined through previous research performed by Dr. Erdogmus and students, based on the condition of the blocks. Additionally, computer models of the cella walls using ANSYS were developed to assess the structure as a whole and determine the forces applied to the blocks during seismic events. From the modeling, the location of the most heavily impacted blocks was determined. With this information, along with the categorized blocks, a general plan of how the cella walls can be reconstructed, based solely on a structural standpoint, can be determined