Stability assessment of sandstones from the St. Servatius Church in Quedlinburg (UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, Germany)

Research on the St. Servatius Church in Quedlinburg (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) reveals that its stability issues stem primarily from the poor lithification of Cretaceous sandstone, characterized by high porosity (30–35%) and low compressive strength (8 MPa), which further decreases under moisture. Freeze-thaw tests confirm significant vulnerability to frost weathering, contributing to surface softening. Geotechnical modeling suggests that landslides along bedding planes or shear failure are unlikely, though a monitored clay layer may indicate movement along geological discontinuities. Stability problems are attributed to both construction deficiencies (e.g., foundation deformations) and geological factors such as sandstone weathering, water penetration, and potential shear planes.

Siegesmund, S., Friedel, C.-H., Vogel, J., Mosch, S., Naumann, D., Peter, A., & Giesen, H. (2010). Stability assessment of sandstones from the St. Servatius Church in Quedlinburg (UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, Germany). Environmental Earth Sciences, 63(3), 641–659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0736-7