Rockfall Potential of Kastamonu Castle Available to Purchase

The Kastamonu Castle located on a sandstone hill with Eocene age is one of the most historical and touristic places in Kastamonu city center. The settlement of the city was expanded towards the hill of Kastamonu Castle and was influenced by a numerous rockfalls occurred in the past. The rock-fall problems around the castle could be related to jointing, weathering, freezing-thawing and earthquake effects or combination of them. In this study, the rockfall problems of the western and southern part of the castle are evaluated by two-dimensional rockfall analyses along six different profiles due to the fact that these areas are in more critical situation because of closer residential areas. Different size of rock blocks and various types of movements are taken into consideration in the analyses. Fall-out distance, bounce height, kinetic energy and velocity of the rocks for sandstone unit are separately evaluated. The obtained data are used to define the possible rockfall hazard zones. Finally, the areas having potential rockfall risks are distinguished. Based on the evaluation of the data, removing of unstable blocks and supporting the area with the protective fences are suggested.