21TS.7

 

BAYON TEMPLE (Japan APSARA Safeguarding Angkor):

Concerning the Central Tower, three options have been presented to rein-force the structure of the foundations:

a. To refill the central shaft with a new compacted backfill once the former soft backfill has been removed.

b. To build around this shaft a protective wall with circular lining plates.

c. To protect the soil from any water infiltration through the open joints on the terrace floor.

The third option appears to be the least invasive and should be imple-mented: After dismantling the stones of the terrace paving, a waterproof layer is laid, then the stones are reset and damaged blocks replaced if necessary.

Possible reinforcements of the stone masonry of the upper part of the central tower have been considered. A possible solution here could be to carry out localised reinforcements of broken stones (inserting small bolts) and a global reinforcement of the tower by belting at different levels.