Analytical characterization of the almohad rammed-earth wall of Cáceres, Spain

Autor: Rubén Maderuelo-Sanz, María Isabel Mota-López, Antonio Romero-Casado, José David Pastor-Valle, Juan Miguel Meneses-Rodríguez
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Construction and Building Materials. 273:121676
ISSN: 0950-0618
DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121676
Popis: The aim of this work is to characterize the Rammed-Earth from the Almohad wall of Caceres, Spain. Since the knowledge on the mechanical and physical properties of this historical structure is scarce, despite the significance of this archaeological ensemble, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, this work contributes with the knowledge of the construction mode of the Rammed-Earth, providing useful information about the original building techniques, the raw materials and the production technology used in this defensive structure built eight centuries ago. An advanced knowledge of the materials state used in the construction of this historical wall is required for a possible reliable restoration and preservation in which compatible materials may be used. For this purpose, an experimental campaign was carried out on the constituent materials of this monument, mainly composed by Rammed-Earth. In this work 12 different zones of the old city wall of Caceres were analyzed by X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, compressive strength and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results, presented and discussed, showed that this Rammed-Earth can be considered like an authentic concrete, made of lime and siliceous aggregates, mainly coming from granites and quartzites fragments, abundant local geomaterials, and that their good physical and mechanical properties are comparables to other ancient concretes. With this work, it is possible to fill the gap that exists in this field, characterizing the materials used in this ancient rampart, never previously studied.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: