About
A landmark event on the preservation of monuments fostering the exchange of ideas, practices and state of the art among academics, industry experts and professionals
Christos Tsatsanifos
Message from the Chair
Dear Colleagues,
It is my absolute pleasure to invite you to the 4th International Symposium on the Preservation of Monuments and Historic Sites (the 4th TC301 International Symposium) to be held in Athens, Greece from Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 September 2026, following the previous successful events at Napoli, Italy, in 1996, 2013 and 2022, respectively. This time, it is the Hellenic Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering who is hosting the Conference in Greece.
The legacy of the previous Symposia reminds us of the immense responsibility we bear in preserving the heritage and history encapsulated in the world’s monuments. These structures are not merely physical entities; they are the custodians of our cultural identity and historical continuity.
Today, the challenge is still on and increasing. Climate change is affecting the structural stability and appearance of monuments and may even threaten them with extinction when these are in the path of rising seas. At the other end of the scale, new technologies and AI are building momentum in engineering practice, advocating increasing capacities in solving complex problems from which preservation science can benefit.
The upcoming TC301 International Symposium broadens its scope to discuss the latest advancements in emerging topics, while maintaining the core focuses of the previous conferences.
The Symposium’s themes underscore the critical intersection of engineering expertise and cultural stewardship. The Symposium will provide a forum for exchange and discussion between engineers, architects, archaeologists, scientists and researchers in the field of protection of monuments. Among the objectives of the Symposium is that our discussions traverse the latest advancements in geotechnical engineering, focusing on sustainable and effective methods to protect and restore monuments threatened by natural and human-induced challenges.
As we delve into these critical topics, let us remember that our work transcends technical challenges. It is a testament to our commitment to preserving the legacy of human achievement and ensuring that these monuments continue to inspire and educate for centuries to come.
On behalf of the Organising Committee, I look forward to welcoming you to the iconic city of Athens for the 4th TC301 – IS Athens.
Warm regards,
Christos Tsatsanifos
Chairman, 4th TC301 – IS Athens
Committees
Conference Chair
Dr. Christos Tsatsanifos, Former TC301 Chair
Organizing Committee
Dr. Michalis Bardanis, President HSSMGE
Prof. George Belokas, Secretary HSSMGE
Dr. Dimitris Egglezos, Corresponding Member TC301
Panagiotis Giannopoulos, Civil Engineer
Haris Lamaris, Member Executive Committee HSSMGE
Dr. Prodromos Psarropoulos, Member Executive Committee HSSMGE
Prof. Filomena de Silva, Liaison with 3rd IS TC301 Napoli 2022
Prof. Ioannis Zevgolis, Treasurer HSSMGE
Prof. George Gazetas, National Technical University of Athens
George Doulis, Member Executive Committee HSSMGE
Scientific Committee ISSMGE TC 301
Dr. O. Amer, MCG Misr Consult Group, EGYPT
Prof. C. Augarde, Durham University, UK
Dr. K. Avellan, KAREG Cons. Engineers, FINLAND
Prof. S. Aversa, Parthenope University of Naples, ITALY
Dr. M. Bardanis, Edafos Cons. Engineers S.A., GREECE
Emer. Prof. J. Burland, Imperial College London, UK
Emer. Prof. G. Calabresi, Sapienza Università di Roma, ITALY
N. Carpentier, Antea Group, FRANCE
Asst. Prof. J. T. Chavda, NIT Surat, INDIA
Prof. J. A. Fernández, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, SPAIN
Prof. A. Flora, University of Napoli Federico II, ITALY
Prof. G. Gottardi, University of Bologna, ITALY
Dr. M. Guri, Universiteti Polis, ALBANIA
Prof. I. Herle, Technische Universität Dresden, GERMANY
Asst. Prof. M. Makarchian, Bu-Ali Sina University, IRAN
Prof. M. Mimura, Kyoto University, JAPAN
Prof. K. Muthukkumaran, NIT, INDIA
Dr. E. Ovando Shelley, UNAM, MEXICO
Prof. S. Oztoprak, Istanbul University – Cerrahpaşa, TURKEY
Assoc. Prof. L. Pantelidis, Cyprus University of Technology, CYPRUS
Assoc. Prof. P. Papadopoulos, Frederick University, CYPRUS
G. Pisco, Tetraplano, PORTUGAL
P. Rodríguez Monteverde, UPM, SPAIN
Prof. J. Standing, Imperial College, UK
H. Sun, Sun Yat-sen University, CHINA
Prof. C. Tanimoto, Osaka University, JAPAN
R. Tomásio, JETsj Geotecnia Lda, PORTUGAL
Dr. C. Tsatsanifos, Pangaea Cons. Engineers LTD, GREECE
Prof. V. Ulitsky, PGUPS, RUSSIA
J.-D. Vernhes, Collège Géosciences – UniLaSalle, FRANCE
Emer. Prof. C. Viggiani, University of Naples “Federico II”, ITALY
P. Yong, Fugro Hong Kong LTD, HONG KONG
Local Advisory Committee
Anargyros Alexandris, Corresponding Member TC301
Dr. George Dounias, Edafos SA, Greece
Prof. Nikolaos Klimis, Democritus University of Thrace
Prof. Constantinos Loupasakis, National Technical University of Athens
Dr. Dorina Moullou, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Hellenic Open University
Emer. Prof. Kyriazis Pitilakis, Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki
Prof. Emmanouil Rovithis, Democritus University of Thrace
Dr. Harry Saroglou, National Technical University of Athens
Emer. Prof. Stathis Stiros, University of Patras
Prof. Elli Vintzileou, National Technical University of Athens
Prof. Androniki Miltiadou-Fezans, National Technical University of Athens
Conference Focus
Development of a shared culture for the preservation of monuments
Aligning requirements on the safe use of monuments with restoration ethics is a formidable task and a great challenge raising cultural, humanistic, social, technical, economic, and administrative considerations. The complexity of the topic is such that solutions can only flourish through the collaborative efforts of art historians, architects, and structural, and geotechnical engineers. The TC301 is intended to establish interactions among the different stakeholders and create a forum for discussing geotechnical issues related to the preservation of monuments and historic sites, with the following two main aims: (i) to promote and diffuse the culture of conservation within the geotechnical community; (ii) to highlight the role of geotechnical engineering in understanding and solving the possible pathologies of old structures and sites.
Source: https://www.greece-is.com/
Effects of urban development on build heritage
Balancing urban development with heritage preservation is a collaborative task for geotechnical and structural engineers, architects and urban planners. The considerations are quite a few: how to analyze the effects of new constructions on existing monuments and buildings; how to design appropriate geotechnical or structural mitigation measures while preserving the character and identity of the monument; how to develop comprehensive monitoring schemes for real-time evaluation of the monument response during the construction sequence and afterwards, and so forth. The conference sessions will highlight this complex interplay, examining challenges, opportunities, and best practices to maintain the delicate balance between cultural heritage preservation and urban growth.
Learning from case histories
The importance of documenting and sharing key lessons from Case Histories was always a priority for TC301. Committed to this vision, the previous conferences hosted presentations on all latest research and developments in the six iconic historic sites that captivated the interest of our TC301 members in the past and continue to do so. These include: the under-excavation of Mexico City’s Cathedral for correcting deformations caused by self weight consolidation and regional subsidence, the restoration of the ancient walls surrounding the Acropolis of Athens, the unveiling of the ancient city of Angkor Wat with the assistance of remote sensing satellite imagery, the causal analysis of the differential settlements of the Modena Cathedral, the seismic vulnerability of the Giotto’s Campanile in Florence, and the much-analyzed but always captivating geotechnical “mystery” of the lining tower of Pisa. We also welcome contributions on any other well-documented case history and real-life story offering insightful takeaways that could advance the geotechnical engineering research and practice.
Preserving monuments in a changing climate
Natural disasters bring about destruction, collapse and loss to monuments and historic sites. As the weather grows more extreme, the list of incidents is getting longer. The 2020 wildfires in Greece that threatened the Olympia site, the severe damage of Roman-era Gazeiantep Castle and the partial collapse of the 17th century Sirvani Mosque in Turkey during the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, the flooding of Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice from sea-level rise are only a few of the latest reminders that nature cannot be harnessed, and urgent action is needed to safeguard our build heritage from destruction and extinction. The conference will offer several opportunities for rethinking our ideas for preserving monuments and exploring mitigation strategies that can be adaptive to changing climate conditions.
Leveraging digital technologies
Digitization and documentation of cultural heritage assets, automated laser-scanning, 3D modeling, and virtual reality are few of the many ways digital technologies and artificial intelligence can support the protection of monuments from ageing and natural and man-made hazards. The conference will steer the discussion to topics of such interest exploring the wealth of possibilities that digital technologies have opened.
Conference Structure & Themes
Technical Sessions
The Kerisel Lecture
The Kerisel Lecture Is the most prestigious lecture in the community of geotechnical preservation. The lecture was named to honour Jean Kérisel, a renowned French engineer and Egyptologist and a prominent figure in the field of soil mechanics and geotechnics, in recognition for his pioneering work for the preservation of monuments. The first Kerisel Lecture was delivered at International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) in 2013 in Paris by Giovanni Calabresi; the second one at the ICSMGE in Seoul in 2017 by the Carlo Viggiani, and the third one by Alessandro Flora during the 3rd TC301 Conference in Naples. The duration of the Kerisel Lecture is 60 mins (including time for discussion). The lecture is addressed to the entire audience. The nomination process for the upcoming Kerisel Lecture is currently underway.
General Oral Sessions
They will run in two parallel streams focusing on specific research fields. The duration of each Oral Session will be 1 ½ hour, equally distributed among the various oral presentations of submitted technical papers. The duration of each oral presentation will be confirmed in due time (but will not exceed 15 minutes).
Opening and Closing Addresses
Will be delivered by the Conference Chair, the President of the Hellenic Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, and the Chairman of TC 301, during the first and last day of the Conference.
Cross-disciplinary Keynote Lectures
They will be addressed to all participants by internationally renowned experts and academics. The conference will host 3-4 Keynote Lectures, each having a duration of 45 minutes (including time for discussion). The keynote speakers are handpicked by the scientific committee of the conference due to their expertise and their outstanding contributions to the field. Keynote lectures will cover a broad spectrum of relevant scientific fields other than geotechnics, including structural engineering, architectural conservation and archaeology.
E-posters Session(s)
Will be displayed digitally on dedicated screens at the conference Lobby. E-posters will be circulated on a daily basis. The conference participants will be able to view posters at any time during the conference, but primarily during the conference breaks. The authors of e-posters will be expected to make themselves available during the breaks to discuss their research with the conference audience.
Themes & Topics
1. Conservation Principles
• Authenticity,
• Ethics in the preservation of monuments and historic sites,
• Interdisciplinarity and synergies between science and practice
• Intervention criteria and regulatory framework
2. Historical Geotechnical Engineering
• Construction traditions and techniques
• Materials of monuments and historic sites
• Geotechnical characteristics of monuments and historic sites (earthworks, foundations, rock cuts and underground structures etc.)
3. Diagnosis: Understanding and Investigating Monuments
• Documentation and engineering history
• Investigation techniques
• Monitoring and remote sensing
• Pathology, diagnosis and performance assessment
4. Analysis, Modeling, and Risk Assessment of Monuments and Heritage Sites
• Analytical and Numerical Modeling
• Soil-Structure Interaction
• Probabilistic Risk Assessment
5. Geotechnical Aspects of Monumental Restoration / Preservation
• Ground Improvement Techniques
• Slope stabilization and protection from rock falls
• Foundation Repair/Enhancement
• Geo-structural Reinforcement
• Reburial of monuments
• Movement of monuments
• Geotechnical engineering and archaeological excavations
• Geotechnical engineering, geoarchaeology and cultural landscape preservation
6. Climate Change and Protection of Monuments from Natural Hazards
• Monument preservation in a changing climate: dealing with increasing temperatures and extreme weather
• Climate adaptation measures for monuments and historic sites
• Earthquakes, cloudbursts, and slope instability: Risk assessment, tactics, and preventative actions
• Pro and post natural hazards structural maintainability
• Preservation of diffuse heritage: soil instability, subsidence, environmental damages
• Geotechnical challenges of coastal heritage preservation
7. Urban Development Impact on Monuments
• Foundation engineering challenges
• Soil erosion and settlement (due to changes in surface runoff patterns and soil disturbance during urban development)
• Groundwater impacts
• Subsurface infrastructure interference
• Vibration and noise control
Social Activities
The local Committee is currently putting together an exciting Social Program that will nicely complement the technical stream of the Conference. Announcements will be made upon confirmation.
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