Which risk increased during the construction of Inca dry-stone masonry walls at high altitudes?

💡 Explanation

Freeze-thaw cycles posed a significant threat, causing water trapped in microscopic pores to expand upon freezing, exerting pressure via ice wedging that leads to fracturing, because the mechanism weakened already vulnerable structural elements. Therefore, fracturing risk increased, rather than other geographically stable structural risks like creep.

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• Which mechanical process MOST directly prevented soil erosion on hillside terraces utilized by the Inca civilization?
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• Which consequence resulted when the composition of early Chinese cast iron armour lacked sufficient manganese?
• Which structural vulnerability arose when Roman aqueducts crossed seismic fault lines?
• Which consequence occurred if holes on early astrolabes were misaligned?