TRADITIONAL ADOBE BUILDINGS IN THE ALTO RIBATEJO REGION

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.53822010819

• Palavras-chave: -

• Keywords: Adobe/Earth Structures/ Renovation

• Abstract:

  Earth was the first material moulded by man to build houses, its use dates back to many millennia. Half the world's population currently lives in earth buildings made with different technologies. The most widely used earth construction techniques are rammed earth, adobe and tabique. The rammed earth and adobe techniques produce resistant walls. Whereas rammed earth forms a monolithic structure made of tamped earth between sidewalls on site, the adobe technique consists in small-block masonry made of earth in timber moulds and dried in the sun. The tabique technique is used to build non-resistant partition walls of earth that is applied on wood strips, also used in front walls. Adobe is one of the oldest building materials, being considered one of the precursors of clay brick.  It was used in various parts of the world, especially in hot, dry regions, traditional constructions and buildings of heritage value in many cities.  In Portugal, this type of construction is disseminated across various regions of the country, having a significant presence in many historic centres. The 19th-century industrial revolution increased the supply of industrialised materials, which led to earth techniques being gradually abandoned. Recently, with the rise of environmental and sustainability concerns, the use of more sustainable construction processes is being considered. Earth construction, including adobe, meets current sustainability requirements. An understanding of these building techniques is also useful to rehabilitate existing earth structures. This paper describes the peculiarities of traditional adobe constructions in the Alto Ribatejo region.  The choice of this theme is justified by the fact that there is a vast heritage in this region, both rural and urban, that is well-adapted to climatic and territorial conditions. In order to preserve this interesting heritage, it is therefore crucial to better understand these construction techniques.

• Número de páginas: 16