Hu, Dong ， Liu, Chengyu ， Wu, Changyu ， Wang, Jinhua
2026-05-04 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE 2026 20(卷), 5(期), (565-584页)
The presence of surface cracks in stone cultural relics can induce secondary deterioration pathologies, ultimately leading to surface exfoliation. Focusing on the petroglyphs in Damaidi, Northwest China, this study establishes a numerical model of rock mass containing surface cracks to investigate their mechanical impacts on petroglyph surfaces under two distinct mechanisms: thermal stress and water freezing within cracks. Furthermore, the influence of crack spacing on stress distribution and surface displacement was systematically examined. Key findings reveal that (1) Thermal stress induces new crack formation surrounding existing surface cracks; (2) Repeated thermal cycling leads to progressively denser crack networks; (3) When crack spacing reaches a critical threshold (<= 1.5 cm for Damaidi petroglyphs), frost heaving of interstitial water initiates granular disintegration; (4) Subsequent freeze-thaw cycles expand the affected areas, eventually causing scaling exfoliation. These mechanistic insights show excellent agreement with field documentation of crack patterns and exfoliation pathologies at the Damaidi site.