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  • Surveyor Engineer, PhD Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) A surveyor engineer with a keen interest on the ... moreedit
Το παρόν κείμενο αποτελεί μια συνοπτική διερεύνηση του τρόπου με τον οποίο οι εποχικές μετακινήσεις κοπαδιών και κτηνοτρόφων ενός τμήματος της βόρειας Πίνδου που διαχείμαζε στα πεδινά της Θεσσαλίας συνδέονται με τις εξελίξεις των... more
Το παρόν κείμενο αποτελεί μια συνοπτική διερεύνηση του τρόπου με τον οποίο οι εποχικές μετακινήσεις κοπαδιών και κτηνοτρόφων ενός
τμήματος της βόρειας Πίνδου που διαχείμαζε στα πεδινά της Θεσσαλίας συνδέονται με τις εξελίξεις των αγροτικών μεταρρυθμίσεων του 1917. Αρκετά δεδομένα προέρχονται από προγενέστερη έρευνα, της οποίας σημαντικό μέρος είχε επικεντρωθεί στις εξαμηνιαίες μετακινήσεις των κτηνοτροφικών οικογενειών της νοτιοδυτικής Μακεδονίας, και συγκεκριμένα των περιφερειακών ενοτήτων των Γρεβενών και της Κοζάνης προς τους τόπους διαχείμασης της Θεσσαλίας και της Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας, με χρονικό πλαίσιο αναφοράς τις αρχές του 20ού αιώνα έως και τον Β΄ παγκόσμιο πόλεμο (Nτάσιου 2014α). Το 1917, μεταξύ των πολλών γεγονότων και των ανακατατάξεων, αποτέλεσε έτος συνδεδεμένο με μία από τις σημαντικότερες αγροτικές μεταρρυθμίσεις. ιδρύθηκε το υπουργείο γεωργίας και ξεκίνησαν η χάραξη γεωργικής πολιτικής του ελληνικού κράτους (Παπαγαρυφάλλου 1973), καθώς και οι αναγκαστικές απαλλοτριώσεις αγροτικών ακινήτων (Ευελπίδης 1923). είχαν τεθεί τα θεμέλια για την ανάπτυξη του γεωργικού τομέα στον ελλαδικό χώρο, μετά τη μακρόχρονη κυριαρχία της οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας στον ευρύτερο χώρο της Βαλκανικής. η Θεσσαλία υπήρξε το επίκεντρο των μεταρρυθμίσεων, καθώς αποτελούσε κατεξοχήν αγροτικό χώρο (Sivignon 1992), στον οποίο κατά την περίοδο της Τουρκοκρατίας είχαν διαμορφωθεί ιδιαίτερες συνθήκες στο γεωκτησιακό καθεστώς (Τσοποτός 1912), με αποτέλεσμα οι μεταρρυθμίσεις να διαμορφώσουν νέες συνθήκες στην εκμετάλλευση των γεωργικών εκτάσεων (Αλεβιζάτος 1938, Παπαγαρυφάλλου 1973). Σε αυτό το σημείο τίθεται το ερώτημα της επίδρασης των συνθηκών που διαμορφώθηκαν μετά το 1917 στη μετακινούμενη κτηνοτροφία, δηλαδή την κτηνοτροφία που στηρίζεται στις εξαμηνιαίες μετακινήσεις των κοπαδιών και των κτηνοτρόφων για αξιοποίηση των ορεινών και των πεδινών βοσκοτόπων με βάση
τον μετεωρολογικό χρόνο (Ντάσιου 2014α). Διαπιστώνεται μια προσπάθεια του ελληνικού κράτους να τονώσει τους εποχικά μετακινούμενους κτηνοτρόφους μετά το 1919. Στα μέτρα που ελήφθησαν ανήκει το κυβερνητικό διάταγμα του 1938, το οποίο αποσκοπούσε στην εξασφάλιση πεδινών βοσκοτόπων (Καραμανές 2011). πόσο καθοριστικές ήταν, όμως, αυτές οι προσπάθειες για το σύνολο των εποχικά μετακινούμενων κτηνοτρόφων και σε ποιον βαθμό συνετέλεσε το έτος 1917 στις αλλαγές του τρόπου μιας εποχικής μετακίνησης;
This paper presents the possibility of promoting cultural itineraries ranging from mountain villages of southwestern Macedonia and lead to destinations which are located in remote areas. It deals with traditional routes that... more
This paper presents the possibility of promoting cultural itineraries ranging from mountain villages of southwestern Macedonia and lead to destinations which are located in remote areas. It deals with traditional routes that systematically traversed by the populations of settlements in the historic times and for specific purposes, which converged on the plain reason of survival. In particular, the mountainous area of this region was creating conditions for seasonal movements, either of partial or entire population, due to requirements submitted by the various professional activities. Developed livestock dictated the need for systemic movement in warmer territories during the winter months. In addition, the development of the art of craftsmen also dictated systematic movements in areas where it was possible to satisfactorily and efficiently dealing with these kinds of activities. Thus, these movements taking place in traditional-ways in the past, shape cultural routes need to be investigated and to be promoted in order to be preserved as part of the folk heritage. The research was was conducted with the help of modern technology found in nowadays GIS systems (Geographic Information Systems - GIS). The extant research covers both, the case of a traditional route of seasonal migrant herds and pastoral families of a mountain village in the plains of Thessaly and furthermore, the activities of craftsmen of another settlement in various places of work. Data were collected from oral testimonies and written sources and then organized in a suitably designed GIS, capable also for web-visualization of results (Web-GIS). The developed application creates the conditions for emergence of this kind of route and preserve them as an element of the cultural heritage. At the same time, it favors their reuse either for tourist purposes and historical research, or the further development of modern removable livestock.
Research Interests:
Κατά τον 19ο αι. το μεγαλύτερο μέρος των οικισμών της βόρειας Πίνδου στήριξαν την οικονομία τους στην κτηνοτροφία. Η σημα-ντική ανάπτυξη αυτής της δραστηριότητας, σε συνδυασμό με τις γεωμορφολογικές και κλιματολογικές συνθήκες, ανάγκαζε... more
Κατά τον 19ο αι. το μεγαλύτερο μέρος των οικισμών της βόρειας Πίνδου στήριξαν την οικονομία τους στην κτηνοτροφία. Η σημα-ντική ανάπτυξη αυτής της δραστηριότητας, σε συνδυασμό με τις γεωμορφολογικές και κλιματολογικές συνθήκες, ανάγκαζε τις ποιμενικές οικογένειες και τα κοπάδια τους σε εποχικές (εξαμηνιαίες) μετακινήσεις, με σκοπό την εξασφάλιση κατάλληλων βοσκοτόπων και την προστασία τους από τις κλιματικές συνθήκες των εποχών. Τα κοπάδια των αιγοπροβάτων και οι ποιμενικές οικογένειες μετακινούνταν την άνοιξη, συνήθως τον Μάιο, από τα χειμαδιά ‒είτε κάμπος είτε περιοχές με χαμηλό υψόμετρο‒ στα ορει-νά βοσκοτόπια, όπου γινόταν εξασφάλιση της βοσκής στη φυσική βλάστη-ση, για το διάστημα των θερινών μηνών. Το φθινόπωρο, από τις τελευταίες μέρες του Σεπτεμβρίου έως τα μέσα του Οκτωβρίου, πραγματοποιούνταν η επιστροφή στα χειμαδιά. Η συνήθεια των εποχικών μετακινήσεων των πληθυσμών προσέδωσε στους αντίστοιχους ορεινούς οικισμούς έναν ιδιαίτερο χαρακτήρα, που τους διαφοροποιεί από τους οικισμούς με μόνιμο πληθυσμό καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια του έτους και, επιπλέον, καθόρισε το μοντέλο λειτουργίας τους, το οποίο δημιούργησε ιδιότυπες συνθήκες για την ανάπτυξη και εξέλιξή τους. Εστιά-ζοντας στη Δυτ. Μακεδονία και στην ορεινή περιοχή της επαρχίας Γρεβενών, τα τέσσερα βλαχοχώρια, Περιβόλι, Αβδέλλα, Σμίξη, Σαμαρίνα, αποτε-λούν χαρακτηριστική περίπτωση οικισμών που εγκαταλείπονταν από όλον τον πληθυσμό κατά τους χειμερινούς μήνες, γεγονός που αποτελούσε το ι-διαίτερο γνώρισμά τους καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια της ιστορικής πορείας και ε-ξέλιξής τους.
Research Interests:
Transhumance is a traditional livestock system with the historical origin of many centuries. The seasonal migrations of flocks and people, in Greece and elsewhere, were held at predetermined paths and area-specific tactics. This paper... more
Transhumance is a traditional livestock system with the historical origin of many centuries. The seasonal migrations of flocks and people, in Greece and elsewhere, were held at predetermined paths and area-specific tactics. This paper explores the traditional transhumance routes between highlands of southwestern Macedonia, Greece and lowlands of either Macedonia or Thessaly, by adopting modern geo-informatics-tools, such as GIS. The adopted technology provides a powerful tool to visualize the traditional routes, to analyze the characteristic elements of each route, and to determine the criteria involved in the selection. The ultimate goal of this work is to bring out the traditional way of transhumance, not as a historical–museum piece of information but as an efficient farming system that (with the proper technological assistance) can be explored and applied by modern farmers, towards establishing an efficient and sustainable animal husbandry system.
Research Interests:
Animal husbandry was highly developed in the mountainous settlements of Southwestern Macedonia (regions of Grevena and Voion) and supported an important part of the local economy. Because of the geomorphological and climatic conditions of... more
Animal husbandry was highly developed in the mountainous settlements of Southwestern Macedonia (regions of Grevena and Voion) and supported an important part of the local economy. Because of the geomorphological and climatic conditions of those regions, the development of this activity resulted in the seasonal movement of people with their livestock to fixed winter pastures, where the climate is warmer during the winter. In this paper, the historical transhumance routes from the villages Blatsi (Vlasti) and Pipilista (Namata) on Siniatsiko mountain to the lowlands of Thessaly and Central Macedonia are examined, as well as the corresponding geographical dissemination, for the time period of the first half of the 20th century.

Περίληψη: Οι κάτοικοι των ορεινών οικισμών της νοτιοδυτικής Μακεδονίας (περιοχές Γρεβενών και Βοΐου), στήριξαν σημαντικό μέρος της οικονομίας τους στην κτηνοτροφία. Η ανάπτυξη αυτής της οικονομικής δραστηριότητας, σε συνδυασμό με τις γεωμορφολογικές και κλιματολογικές συνθήκες, ανάγκαζε τις ποιμενικές οικογένειες και τα κοπάδια τους σε εποχιακές (εξαμηνιαίες) μετακινήσεις κατά τους χειμερινούς μήνες, σε περιοχές με ήπιους χειμώνες και διαθέσιμους βοσκότοπους. Στην παρούσα εργασία επιλέγεται για διερεύνηση το δίκτυο των διαδρομών που ακολουθούσαν τα εποχιακά μετακινούμενα κοπάδια των οικισμών Μπλάτσι (Βλάστη) και Πιπιλίστα (Νάματα) του όρους Σινιάτσικου, από τις αρχές μέχρι τα μέσα του 20ού αιώνα. Σκοπός είναι η καταγραφή των διαδρομών και η διερεύνησή τους ως ένα ιστορικό δίκτυο. Το συμπέρασμα που προκύπτει είναι ότι οι πληθυσμοί των οικισμών αυτών παρουσίαζαν σημαντική διασπορά στον γεωγραφικό χώρο κατά τους χειμερινούς μήνες, καθώς επέλεγαν ως τόπους διαχείμασης (χειμαδιά) διάφορες περιοχές της Θεσσαλίας και της Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας. Εισαγωγή Οι ορεινοί οικισμοί της Δυτικής Μακεδονίας παρουσιάζουν ανάπτυξη της κοπαδιάρικης κτηνοτροφίας από τον 16ο αιώνα (Τσότσος 2011), η οποία, μέχρι και τον 20ό αιώνα, αποτέλεσε βασικό στοιχείο της τοπικής οικονομίας, καθώς γύρω από αυτήν αναπτύσσονταν και άλλες δραστηριότητες, όπως η επεξεργασία και διακίνηση κτηνοτροφικών προϊόντων, που οδήγησε στην ανάπτυξη του εμπορίου και των συναλλαγών με τον ευρύτερο χώρο. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο ήταν ενταγμένη και η συνήθεια των εξαμηνιαίων εποχιακών μετακινήσεων κατά φαλκάρια (ομάδες ποιμενικών οικογενειών με τα κοπάδια τους-τσελιγκάτα) (Γκιόλιας 2004), με σκοπό την εξασφάλιση κατάλληλων βοσκοτόπων και την προστασία τους από τις κλιματικές συνθήκες των εποχών, που είναι το δριμύ ψύχος και τα χιόνια του χειμώνα, για τα ορεινά βοσκοτόπια και οι υψηλές θερμοκρασίες του καλοκαιριού και η ξηρασία, για τα πεδινά. Οι μετακινήσεις γίνονταν: (α) κατά το τέλος Απριλίου από τα χειμαδιά προς τα ορεινά χωριά και (β) κατά το τέλος Οκτωβρίου αντίστροφα. Διαρκούσαν από λίγες μέρες έως και μερικές εβδομάδες, ανάλογα με την απόσταση και τα μέσα μεταφοράς. Η συνήθεια της μετακινούμενης κτηνοτροφίας (Λάγκα και συν. 2003) αποτέλεσε σύστημα εκτροφής κυρίως των αιγοπροβάτων, το οποίο αναφέρεται με τον όρο ποιμνιακή μετακινούμενη εκτροφή (Παπαναστάσης 2009). Αυτή η κινητικότητα, που χαρακτηρίζει τους πληθυσμούς των ορεινών οικισμών της νοτιοδυτικής Μακεδονίας, δεν εμπεριέχει την έννοια του νομαδισμού, καθώς ο οικισμός αποτελούσε σταθερό σημείο αναφοράς. Οι δρόμοι των κοπαδιών, όπως θα μπορούσαν να χαρακτηριστούν, έπαιρναν μορφή δικτύου στον χώρο, τα
Research Interests:
This paper attempts to reveal the opportunities that could arise from the revival of abandoned settlements rich in architecturally interesting buildings in the rural renaissance context. Concepts s...
Transhumance is a traditional livestock system with the historical origin of many centuries. The seasonal migrations of flocks and people, in Greece and elsewhere, were held at predetermined paths and area-specific tactics. This paper... more
Transhumance is a traditional livestock system with the historical origin of many centuries. The seasonal migrations of flocks and people, in Greece and elsewhere, were held at predetermined paths and area-specific tactics. This paper explores the traditional transhumance routes between highlands of southwestern Macedonia, Greece and lowlands of either Macedonia or Thessaly, by adopting modern geo-informatics-tools, such as GIS. The adopted technology provides a powerful tool to visualize the traditional routes, to analyze the characteristic elements of each route, and to determine the criteria involved in the selection. The ultimate goal of this work is to bring out the traditional way of transhumance, not as a historical–museum piece of information but as an efficient farming system that (with the proper technological assistance) can be explored and applied by modern farmers, towards establishing an efficient and sustainable animal husbandry system.
This is a database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations (DINGO) which... more
This is a database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations (DINGO) which ran between 1 July 2017 and 9 June 2019. The database is populated with data digitised from the literature as well as datasets supplied by contributors from the geotechnical engineering industry in the United Kingdom. Contributors have agreed in writing for their data to be shared via the DINGO Database and are cited as personal communication. _Summary tables from the report were added in a more convenient form a few days after publication_
This is a database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations (DINGO) which... more
This is a database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations (DINGO) which ran between 1 July 2017 and 9 June 2019. The database is populated with data digitised from the literature as well as datasets supplied by contributors from the geotechnical engineering industry in the United Kingdom. Contributors have agreed in writing for their data to be shared via the DINGO Database and are cited as personal communication. v1.1 is a minor revision of v1.0 with some error corrections. v1.0 can be found at https://doi.org/10.5523/bris.3r14qbdhv648b2p83gjqby2fl8.
The paper examines settlements and mobility of their population; it examines the seasonal relocations of population of a specific area of Greece in the past when this type of relocations were systematic. It identifies settlements with... more
The paper examines settlements and mobility of their population; it examines the seasonal relocations of population of a specific area of Greece in the past when this type of relocations were systematic. It identifies settlements with seasonal migrations and outlines all interrelations between migration and settlement. A particular typology of the settlements is developed based on the character of the seasonal abandonment of the area source data originate from the census taken during the time studied. The percentage of population changes for each settlement reveals its character as regards the seasonal abandonment of the village; the results are mapped with the assistance of an appropriate geo-information system. The results of the mapping determine the area where historical transport routes are expected to be found. Additionally, they identify an area of further research into the socio-economic structure of the settlements and the cultural landscapes. The results complement the available literature and the research in subjects relating to the transportation of populations in the framework of human geography and dynamics in the framework of settlement geography. The typology of the settlements can contribute to the investigation of modern or historical phenomena of mobility and their depiction in the geographical space.
Transhumance is an animal husbandry system dating back many centuries. Seasonal movement of people and their livestock within the framework of this system follows predetermined routes and area-specific practices. This paper deals with the... more
Transhumance is an animal husbandry system dating back many centuries. Seasonal movement of people and their livestock within the framework of this system follows predetermined routes and area-specific practices. This paper deals with the recording and illustrating of these routes for the first time in Greece where no official records available. The aim is to reveal both their historical importance and their relevance to modern herders. With the assistance of historical cartography and geographic information systems, a geodatabase was created for storing data relating to movement in the geographical space. At the same time, transhumance routes were accurately depicted on digital maps. As a result, verbal and written information on this traditional practice was effectively organized and stored, and the seasonal movement of people and their livestock was successfully visualized and analyzed. Lastly, via this process, the historical geography of transhumance in a specific part of Greece was described; foundations were laid for the redetermination of the manner of relocation of transhumant flocks and for the improvement of the traditional routes, where required. The methodology for recording and digitalizing all data can be implemented at any geographical area, aiming at the promotion and preservation of the traditional transhumance practice, keeping its historic and cultural character ever current.
In the midst of today's global energy and economic crisis, it is imperative that we turn to traditional practices which, assisted by modern technology, can offer sustainable and financial-savvy ways to support our efforts for economic... more
In the midst of today's global energy and economic crisis, it is imperative that we turn to traditional practices which, assisted by modern technology, can offer sustainable and financial-savvy ways to support our efforts for economic development. Such a practice is transhumance, which shows a long historical background dating many centuries ago. The present study seeks to highlight this traditional activity with respect to its spatial evolution with the contribution of contemporary technological means such as GIS. In particular, an easy to use web-GIS application is proposed, built with ArcGIS™ software, in an environment easily accessible to either trained or untrained users. Aiming to the accurate visualisation of information in order the farmer to determine the most cost-effective design for own project of transhumance, the cartographic process proposed by this study utilises sources of cartographic data in a layered virtual environment, where information is collected, processed, distributed, developed, analysed and accessed.
This paper attempts to reveal the opportunities that could arise from the revival of abandoned settlements rich in architecturally interesting buildings in the rural renaissance context. Concepts such as settlement abandonment, land... more
This paper attempts to reveal the opportunities that could arise from the revival of abandoned settlements rich in architecturally interesting buildings in the rural renaissance context. Concepts such as settlement abandonment, land abandonment, back to land movement, and rural renaissance are behind the need for the rural settlements’ renaissance and are analyzed briefly herein. The paper focuses on the municipality of Prespes in Greece, a natural habitat with plenty of abandoned or declining settlements. The outstanding landscape, the deserted buildings that still have architectural interest and the area's rurality provide an interdisciplinary frame for looking into the renaissance of abandoned rural settlements from a new perspective. Area censuses reveal abandoned, sparsely populated or declining settlements, which could follow specially designed action plans for their revitalization; the land cover also indicates development opportunities for each settlement. Finally, the paper outlines proposals for the revitalization and sustainable development of the study area.
The paper examines settlements and mobility of their population; it examines the seasonal relocations of population of a specific area of Greece in the past when this type of relocations were systematic. It identifies settlements with... more
The paper examines settlements and mobility of their population; it examines the seasonal relocations of population of a specific area of Greece in the past when this type of relocations were systematic. It identifies settlements with seasonal migrations and outlines all interrelations between migration and settlement. A particular typology of the settlements is developed based on the character of the seasonal abandonment of the area source data originate from the census taken during the time studied. The percentage of population changes for each settlement reveals its character as regards the seasonal abandonment of the village; the results are mapped with the assistance of an appropriate geo-information system. The results of the mapping determine the area where historical transport routes are expected to be found. Additionally, they identify an area of further research into the socio-economic structure of the settlements and the cultural landscapes. The results complement the available literature and the research in subjects relating to the transportation of populations in the framework of human geography and dynamics in the framework of settlement geography. The typology of the settlements can contribute to the investigation of modern or historical phenomena of mobility and their depiction in the geographical space.
Research Interests:
Transhumance is an animal husbandry system based on the seasonal relocation of herds with the purpose of ensuring access to food across the seasons. In Greece, seasonal relocation of herds and people was taking place along particular... more
Transhumance is an animal husbandry system based on the seasonal relocation of herds with the purpose of ensuring access to food across the seasons. In Greece, seasonal relocation of herds and people was taking place along particular routes that meet certain conditions pertaining to the convenience and safety of people and animals on route. Nowadays, this traditional type of relocation is no longer so prevalent and whilst its cultural character has been investigated and documented, there still remains the question whether nowadays it can sustain the stockbreeders and their herd in their relocation. To answer this question, this paper tracks the movement of a herd in the geographical space and correlates its progression with the natural energy (vegetation) contained therein. GIS (Geographic Information System), orthophotographs, observations and narrative interviews are used for the collection and verification of data. Data-analysis based on simple formulas of range science with the objective of calculating the natural energy available along the route (i.e. forage material) has been carried out, and conclusions are reached regarding the ability of the route to sustain herders and their flocks in their seasonal movement. The paper aims at showcasing the traditional seasonal relocation practice (transhumance) not as a historic and (quite possibly) outdated (‘archaic’) method but as part of a modern and efficient husbandry system that utilizes another green source of energy with many benefits for the stockbreeders, the herd and the environment.
In the midst of today's global energy and economic crisis, it is imperative that we turn to traditional practices which, assisted by modern technology, can offer sustainable and financial-savvy ways to support our efforts for economic... more
In the midst of today's global energy and economic crisis, it is imperative that we turn to traditional practices which, assisted by modern technology, can offer sustainable and financial-savvy ways to support our efforts for economic development. Such a practice is transhumance, which shows a long historical background dating many centuries ago. The present study seeks to highlight this traditional activity with respect to its spatial evolution with the contribution of contemporary technological means such as GIS. In particular, an easy to use web-GIS application is proposed, built with ArcGIS™ software, in an environment easily accessible to either trained or untrained users. Aiming to the accurate visualisation of information in order the farmer to determine the most cost-effective design for own project of transhumance, the cartographic process proposed by this study utilises sources of cartographic data in a layered virtual environment, where information is collected, processed, distributed, developed, analysed and accessed.
Paul Vardanega, Elia Voyagaki, Jamie Crispin, Charlotte Gilder, Konstantina Ntasiou (2021): The DINGO Database, v1.1. https://doi.org/10.5523/bris.89r3npvewel2ea8ttb67ku4d
Paul Vardanega, Elia Voyagaki, Jamie Crispin, Charlotte Gilder, Konstantina Ntasiou (2019): The DINGO Database, v1.0. https://doi.org/10.5523/bris.3r14qbdhv648b2p83gjqby2fl8
This report outlines the database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations... more
This report outlines the database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations (DINGO) which ran between 1 July 2017 and 9 June 2019. The database is populated with data digitised from the literature as well as datasets supplied by contributors from the geotechnical engineering industry in the United Kingdom. The database file structure is inspired by the AGS data format (Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Specialists). The report is arranged in five main parts: (1) In the first section the background and rationale of the project is explained in detail; (2) In the second section the methodology and tools used by the research team to build the database are explained; (3) In the third section the database structure is shown and commentary is given for those wishing to download some or all of the information contained in the DINGO database; (4) In this section preliminary analysis of the collected data is represented on a series of maps, drawn using a geographical information system (GIS), which show the following subsets: (a) construction era; (b) pile foundation typology; (c) geological deposit and soil characteristics; (5) The report concludes with a summary as well as a series of appendices and references that in part explain the structure, arrangement and origin of the information in the DINGO database. The database has been uploaded to the data.bris Research Data Repository at the University of Bristol, and has been released online (https://doi.org/10.5523/bris.3r14qbdhv648b2p83gjqby2fl8) for use by the community under the CC-BY 4.0 Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
This report outlines the database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations... more
This report outlines the database of pile load test information that has been built as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project EP/P020933/1: Databases to INterrogate Geotechnical Observations (DINGO) which ran between 1 July 2017 and 9 June 2019. The database is populated with data digitised from the literature as well as datasets supplied by contributors from the geotechnical engineering industry in the United Kingdom. The database file structure is inspired by the AGS data format (Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Specialists). The report is arranged in five main parts: (1) In the first section the background and rationale of the project is explained in detail; (2) In the second section the methodology and tools used by the research team to build the database are explained; (3) In the third section the database structure is shown and commentary is given for those wishing to download some or all of the information contained in the DINGO database; (4) In this section preliminary analysis of the collected data is represented on a series of maps, drawn using a geographical information system (GIS), which show the following subsets: (a) construction era; (b) pile foundation typology; (c) geological deposit and soil characteristics; (5) The report concludes with a summary as well as a series of appendices and references that in part explain the structure, arrangement and origin of the information in the DINGO database. The database has been uploaded to the data.bris Research Data Repository at the University of Bristol, and has been released online (https://doi.org/10.5523/bris.89r3npvewel2ea8ttb67ku4d) for use by the community under the CC-BY 4.0 Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
The paper aims to reconstruct historical road networks, focusing on an area of South-Eastern Europe (specifically on a part of northern Greece) and to contribute to the research for cultural heritage landscapes promotion. By the proposed... more
The paper aims to reconstruct historical road networks, focusing on an area of South-Eastern Europe (specifically on a part of northern Greece) and to contribute to the research for cultural heritage landscapes promotion. By the proposed approach, ignored cultural corridors would be revealed, paving the way for significant management and the emergence of cultural landscapes. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools, textual references and historical maps are utilised to identify the historical roadways. The spatial information is mined from the historical maps, whilst the descriptive information is mined from both the textual sources and the maps as well. The combination of the maps and the narratives supported an integrated classification of the roads for all periods, according to the construction style/technique, allowing the interpretations of the historical roads’ landscapes. The suggested approach and the consequent maps could serve as a valuable contribution to the enhancement of heritage management of historical landscapes.
The availability of reliable field data is critical for the advancement of geotechnical engineering. This is particularly the case for piled foundations; due to the substantial geotechnical uncertainties. The settlement (performance)... more
The availability of reliable field data is critical for the advancement of geotechnical engineering. This is particularly the case for piled foundations; due to the substantial geotechnical uncertainties. The settlement (performance) predictions from established analytical methods may deviate from field measurements by as much as an order of magnitude. This paper provides a statistical assessment of the uncertainty of predictions of pile performance under axial loading using an openly accessible geotechnical database of pile load tests from the United Kingdom. The collected database information was classified by pile type, location, test data quality and availability of geotechnical data. With reference to the data from fine-grained soils, two analytical models were employed to predict foundation settlement. The settlement prediction performance was then studied statistically and the model bias and error compared with reference to the aforementioned categories to identify the impact of different sources of uncertainty and evaluate the use of both models for future geotechnical practice. The two models investigated generally over-predict settlement, which is likely due to conservative selection of key model parameters, such as soil strength.
Prediction of pile performance often relies upon full-scale pile load testing to better manage geotechnical uncertainty and enable less conservative design. Many analysis methods (e.g. the α-method) require a load test database for... more
Prediction of pile performance often relies upon full-scale pile load testing to better manage geotechnical uncertainty and enable less conservative design. Many analysis methods (e.g. the α-method) require a load test database for calibration. Databases of these tests can provide detailed design guidance in specific geological deposits. However, full scale tests are expensive, and the results, for a variety of reasons, are not always shared with the wider geotechnical community. The DINGO database is an openly accessible database of full-scale pile load tests carried out in UK soils. This paper reports on the building of the database as well as the challenges involved and lessons learnt in collecting and sharing the pile test data. The pile test data in the database is presented by sorting for ‘Geological Deposit’, ‘Construction Decade’ and ‘Construction Type’. A preliminary classification of the quality of information contained in the database is also presented.