Scientific-Practical Enhancement Principles for the Long-Term Stability of Cultural Heritage Objects through a Multi-Component Underground Space Analysis

Abstract

This article presents approaches for enhancing engineering-geological and geotechnical research for the restoration and reconstruction projects of cultural heritage objects in St. Petersburg’s historical center. According to the Venice Charter, an interdisciplinary approach is recommended for developing a preservation program for cultural heritage objects. The authors consider the underground space as a multi-component system, where soils are a host medium for underground water with specific composition, complex physicochemical and biochemical conditions, the presence and vigorous activity of microorganisms, gases of various origins, and underground bearing and enclosing structures. The last of these components is crucial for the long-term stability of historical and cultural objects, as they interact in complex with water-saturated soils and microorganisms. This approach is not to be found in Russian cultural heritage preservation regulations. In engineering-geological and geotechnical research, multi-component underground space should be studied at the regional, local, and object levels. Assessing redox conditions in the underground environment is crucial for understanding the state of its components. Moreover, this can trigger hazardous processes such as changes in the stress–strain state and unconsolidation of the soil layer due to the generation of low-solubility gases and biocorrosion of ancient and modern building materials, causing premature destruction. Recommendations are provided for carrying out engineering-geological and geotechnical research based on cultural heritage objects, considering the multi-component underground space and features of its geoenvironmental state due to the long-term contamination and transformation of its components.