A Predictive Map of Compression- Sensitivity of the Dutch Archaeological Soil Archive

Abstract

Weak soils like unconsolidated clay and peat may deform and compress considerably by loading, for example, by sand bodies for roads and railways. Archaeological sites within such easily compressible soil layers may therefore be heavily affected by different kinds of construction works. The vulnerability of archaeological sites to compression is largely dependent on soil properties like lithology, grain-size, and previous loading history. This may therefore differ considerably. Predicting the compression sensitivity is of great value for planners, since they can estimate in which areas in situ protection of archaeological sites may be feasible and where it would require (costly) technical measures or plan adaptations.

As part of the Cultural Heritage Agency’s research programme on construction and archaeology, we prepared predictive maps of the compression sensitivity of the subsurface sediments in the Netherlands for 1 m depth intervals from 0 to 20 m depth.

The maps were constructed using a full 3-D model of the subsurface of the Netherlands.

In combination with the Indicative Map of Archaeological Values (IKAW) that is already available, these maps can be used to better estimate the technical measures needed and costs involved for in situ protection of archaeological sites in the planning phase of construction projects.

Keywords:

• vulnerability
• civil engineering works
• compression
• The Netherlands

The research for and preparation of the maps was commissioned by the Cultural Heritage Agency, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands.

Notes

1 <http://www.cultureelerfgoed.nl/bouwen-en-archeologie>

Additional information

Notes on contributors

G de Lange

Ger de Lange is researcher and advisor on engineering geological aspects of civil engineering works in soft ground. He specializes in land subsidence modelling and mapping of land subsidence due to water management and climate change. For this purpose a time-dependent subsidence model was developed to interact with the TNO subsurface models.

Correspondence to: Ger de Lange, Deltares, Postbus 85467, 3508 AL Utrecht, the Netherlands. Email: [email protected]

M Bakr

Mahmoud Bakr is researcher and advisor on soil and groundwater systems. He specializes in inverse and forward groundwater flow and mass transport modelling, modelling land subsidence due to groundwater management, and the assessment of worth of data and uncertainty reduction. He is involved in land subsidence projects in the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Correspondence to: Mahmoud Bakr, Deltares, Postbus 85467, 3508 AL Utrecht, the Netherlands. Email: [email protected]

J L Gunnink

Jan Gunnink develops 3D geological models at TNO — Geological Survey of the Netherlands. He advises users of the geological data and lithological models stored in the national subsurface database DINO on the stochastic characterization of geology in projects such as the modelling of land subsidence due to water management in the Netherlands.

Correspondence to: Jan Gunnink, TNO, Postbus 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands. Email: [email protected]

D J Huisman

Hans (D. J.) Huisman is a soil scientist and geochemist. Since 2003, he has worked for the cultural heritage agency as senior researcher soil science and degradation. He has done a series of research projects on degradation of archaeological remains and monitoring of archaeological sites and edited and co-wrote a book on degradation of archaeological remains.

Correspondence to: Hans (D. J.) Huisman, Cultural Heritage Agency, Postbus 1600, 3800 BP Amersfoort, the Netherlands. Email: [email protected]