Introduction

Through the excavations and surveys undertaken by archaeologists in the last fifty years, a substantial body of knowledge on brochs has been built up. There has, however, been little research undertaken into the structural understanding of brochs. The impact of the broch’s form and technical features on its structural performance has not been thoroughly examined and the reasons behind the degradation of the brochs have also been little studied.

The intention of the experimental work undertaken was, therefore, threefold. Understanding the structural performance of the brochs under loading would improve the knowledge on how the degradation and failure of these buildings occurred, allow more sympathetic interventions for any repairing, conservation and reconstruction that might occur at existing sites, and help in the understanding of the historical development of these structures. As computer modelling of drystone structures is, at present, very difficult due to their complex behaviour, the use of scale model testing was essential in beginning the process of building up a thorough structural understanding of these ancient monuments.