• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.143-151
• /
• 2002

Bulku temple in the city of Kyungju, Korea, built in 791 and reconstructed in the 20th century, is the home of seven national treasures including two three-story stone pagodas, Dabotap (height 10.4m, width 7.4m, weight 123.2ton) and Seokgatap (height 10.8m, width 4.4m, weight 82.3 ton). An earlier archaeological investigation shows that stone pagodas have experienced severe weathering process which will threaten their stability. At the base part of Dabotap, an offset of the stone alignment is also observed. For the purpose of the structural safety diagnosis of two pagodas, we introduce the nondestructive geophysical methods. Site characteristics around the pagodas are determined by the measurement of multiple properties such as seismic velocity, resistivity, image of GPR(ground-penetrating radar). Near the pagodas, the occurrence of high resistivity (up to 2200 Ωm) is obvious whereas their outskirts have as low as 200 Ωm. For the velocity of the P wave, the site of Dabotap has the range of 500~800 m/s which is higher than counterpart of Seokgatap with the velocity of 300~500m/s, indicating the solider stability of Dabotap site. Consequently, in addition to GPR images, the foundation boundaries beneath each stone pagodas are revealed. The Dabotap site is in the form of an octagon having 6-m-long side with the depth of ~4m, whereas the Seokgatap site the 9m × 10m rectangle with the depth of 3m. These subsurface structures appear to reflect the original foundations constructed against the stone load of ~8 ton/㎡. At the subsurface beneath the northeast of each pagoda, low seismic velocity as well as low resistivity is prominent. It is interpreted to represent the weak underground condition.