Conservation Scheme and Deterioration States of the Wanggung-ri Five-storied Stone Pagoda in the Iksan, Korea

익산 왕궁리 5층 석탑의 훼손현황과 보존방안 연구

This research presents an evaluation of the weathering and deterioration state of the Wanggung-ri five-storied stone pagoda in the Iksan (National Treasure No. 289) and suggests conservational schemes. A deterioration map of the pagoda was drawn from the aspects of petrological, physical, chemical, biological, structural and artificial weathering.The rock properties consisting of the pagoda were medium-grained biotite granite that had leucocratic phenocryst developed in parts. The body of each story suffered severely from the secondary contamination that turned the colors into light grey, pitch dark, yellowish brown, and reddish brown as well as granular decomposition, exfoliation and peel-off. The roof stones were heavy exfoliated or peeled off in most of the cases. In addition to the fine cracks, there were layered cracks on the corners. The roof stones of the3rd and 4th story in the north and west side had some stones fall-off, while those of the 2ndstory in the north side had steel reinforcement filled for a fixing purpose. Those of the 5th story showed big gaps that must have originated from cracks and were easily subject to granular decomposition and rainfall. The inside clay filler was missing in the lower part of the roof stones of the 4th and 5th story and the supporting stones, which were thus covered by light grey or pitch dark sediments. The contact area of the materials was about 70 % in the parts where there was a space due to the filler missing and washigher than 90 % in the lower parts of the pagoda. About 90 % or more of the roof stones surface of each story were covered by aerial plants that formed a thick biological mat. Thus it seemed necessary to come up with the conservational measures to remove the plans living on the surface of the stone materials, with the plans to prevent rain from falling inside, and with the water repellent and hardening treatments to postpone the surface weathering of the rock properties. All those measures and plans must be based on the results of long-term monitoring and thorough detail investigations.