Greece – A country in transition

At CSI we were recently fortunate enough to have the chance to see first-hand the effects of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the Global Financial Crisis on structures in a country hugely affected by all three events.  Two of the team went for a trip to Greece and managed to combine work with some time to relax. While there we took plenty of photos of the good, the bad and the ugly! It is remarkable to learn about the construction of the Parthenon and how exacting the mathematics in the design and engineering had to be. If you are interested here is a link to a Wikipedia site, describing not only the technical aspects but also the mythology and sentiment behind creating such a perfect building.

The Parthenon

Unfortunately, the restoration of ancient buildings ground to a standstill in 2017 due to the financial pressures on the Greek economy. I know we will not be alone in our hope that as the Greek economy recovers, this program kicks off again. It is remarkable to see buildings constructed 2,500 years ago standing the test of time.
Speaking of standing the test of time, it is worth noting the Minoan era (Aegean Bronze Age) settlements recently uncovered, including Athenian Villages dating back to 5th Century B.C. Amazingly, many of these settlement foundations and first floors remain intact which is remarkable given they are anywhere between 2,500 and 5,000+ years old.

Athenian Township circa 500 BC

Earthquakes and volcanoes have had a significant impact on Greece and not only on the structures. Most well-known to our generation of travelers would be the Minoan Eruption in 17th Century B.C. that created the islands of Santorini, Therasia, Aspronisi, Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni. In terms of earthquakes, we can see the results to the Zeus Temple below. Originally 104 Corinthian Columns, now just 15 remain. It is still an impressive structure, however!

Temple of Zeus

Due in part to the Global Financial Crisis and the internal financial struggles Greece is facing, there have been many construction sites abandoned. Additionally, there are many grand and beautiful old buildings not receiving the attention they require; becoming so dilapidated that they are uninhabitable and quite unsafe even to walk past (due to falling masonry). This is indeed a sad state of affairs and as previously mentioned, we hope that Greece’s finances and it’s ancient and grand old buildings can be salvaged.

Abandoned Greek construction

Closer to home, if you have a building in need of care and attention – ancient or not, talk to the team at CSI for your non-destructive testing requirements.

Phone

North Island – Central and North, Auckland: 0800 33 77 67

Greater Wellington region and South island: 0800 30 20 20

Email

info@csiscan.nz