ABSTRACT
M.D. Yücel Bahcelievler Mah., Aydogan Sitesi, Adapazarı, Turkey
ABSTRACT: Geoengineering evaluation of man-made antique underground structures improves and provides important information on such structures. Harran City in S¸anlıurfa Province of Turkey was constructed probably during Sumerian period BC 3000 (5000 years BP). The building stones consisting of limestones of Harran City were extracted from open-pit and underground quarries known as Bazda quarries. Bazda antique underground quarry pillars suffer some structural stability problems in terms of splitting of high pillars, roof falls, plane or wedge sliding and large sinkholes. The authors have initiated a collaborative integrated research program to map the antique underground quarries having working levels up to four floor, in-situ rock characterization, identification of stability problems, some geomechanical properties of surrounding rock. This paper describes the first preliminary studies on Bazda antique underground quarries and discusses its implications in modern geomechanics and geoengineering.
