Monitoring of the rock mass deformation under the Pont du Gard pier VII foundation

A long-term monitoring study of the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct built around 50 AD to supply water to Nîmes (France), revealed that rock mass deformation under pier VII is influenced by both atmospheric temperature variations and water temperature changes during river floods. The research involved instrumenting two rock bolts in the foundation and tracking their movements over several years. While seasonal thermal effects were dominant, localized deformations correlated with flood events, suggesting dynamic interactions between the aqueduct's structure and hydrological conditions. This finding underscores the need for nuanced monitoring of World Heritage Sites to account for both climatic and environmental factors.

Serratrice, J. F. (2022). Monitoring of the rock mass deformation under the Pont du Gard pier VII foundation. Geotechnical Engineering for the Preservation of Monuments and Historic Sites III, 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003308867-32