- Author
- Brown, P. W. | Robbins, C. R. | Clifton, J. R.
- Title
- Factors Affecting the Durability of Adobe Structures.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Sponsor
- National Park Service, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBSIR 78-1495, July 1978,
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- construction materials; residential buildings; cohesive soils; weathering; physical properties; mineralogy; particle size distribution; size determination; x ray diffraction; porosity; durability; moisture content; inorganic salts; chemical composition; Arizona
- Identifiers
- adobe brick; historic buildings; historic preservation; tumacacori national monument; fort bowie national historic site; escalante ruin
- Abstract
- Adobe samples from three sites of historic interest in the State of Arizona were analyzed to determine their mineral assemblages, particle size distributions, soluble salt contents, and porosities. These analyses were accompanied by microscopic observations of polished sections and thin sections. These data were correlated with the weathering observed and it was found that soluble salt action was responsible for the deterioration of the adobe from one of the sites. The nature of the particle size distribution has resulted in the rapid deterioration of the adobe from a second site. The adobe from a third site was found to be well consolidated due to the presence of large amounts of calcite.