26TS.17

 

Banteay Kdei temple:

This temple has a typical Khmer structure made of stone with horizontal joints. In this way the compression forces flew vertically creating a very favorable behavior for the stability. The huge load of the tower plays essential role to prevent the risk of slide along the joints. During centuries, however, also in relation with the lack of maintenance, the favorable structural scheme is progressively degraded.
The criteria of intervention should be based on the interpretation of the original structural scheme in two scales in combination with a proper monitoring system: structure as a whole and local stability of single blocks.
The typical structural logic seen in Banteay Kdei suggests the possibility of creating a common strategy of interventions in order to have homogeneity and coherence of interventions among the concerned temples.
Taking this into consideration, we Ad hoc experts recommend:
1. To create a relationship with information sharing and to develop cooperation among all the people that work on this type of structure, seeing that the projects of intervention in various temples, apparently different, are similar in view of structural logic.
2. To make the risk map on the scale of structural problems in order to provide a common basis for the conservation and reinforcement work. Monitoring of cracks and displacements is needed.
3. To make a deliberate choice of intervention on the basis of the balance among the type and degree of the risk, cost and benefit, and the intrinsic historical value of the monument, which may be well described by the map of priority.