Revaluation of Ksar El-Haouita in Laghouat, Algeria

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.52460/issc.2021.001 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fatiha Imane Mahcar ◽

Belkacem Takhi

Keyword(s):

Morphological Analysis ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Architectural Heritage ◽

Theoretical Underpinning ◽

Great Resistance ◽

Basic Principles ◽

Construction Techniques ◽

Materials Used ◽

Local Materials

Algeria has a rich urban and architectural heritage, which presents regional specificities. Once the ksour was a symbol of balance and perfect harmony with its environment, unfortunately today they no longer reflect their former function. The Ksourian architecture, including that of Laghouat is a prestigious heritage of high value; it is the testimony of genius knowledge and the capacity of their occupants to adapt to the difficult environment. The housing is considered the essential core of this architecture it represents the entire composition of the ksar, its design is inspired by the immediate environment and respects ancestral social values. It is characterized by a simple architecture and simple construction techniques which are based on the construction in load-bearing walls, the construction materials used are local materials of great resistance and less expensive. This study addresses the theme revaluation of heritage, particularly our case study ksar El-Haouita which has experienced a neglecting and depopulation due to several factors. The ksar El-Haouita is among the most famous ksour located in the south of Algeria and exactly in the region of Laghouat. It is built with simple materials and techniques of construction. The construction materials used are local materials like stones and lime found in the environmental surroundings of the ksar. The aim of this study is to identify the major causes of the degradation of ksar, also to preserve ksar El-Haouita through specific operations and to improve the tourist attractiveness of ksar El-Haouita in order to promote heritage, to convert it back into sustainable Saharan tourism. Our study based in the first place; on a theoretical underpinning which contains the notions that have a relation with our theme, the problematic and the envisaged objective, then a presentation of ksar followed by a morphological analysis accompanied by identification of the problems to identify the phenomena of damage and its disfigurement. The last step is to treat an aspect for the development of ksar, this aspect is devoted to the restitution of the defensive system (doors, ramparts, ramparts of houses and towers) of the ksar, through a diagnostic and several operations like (rehabilitation and reconstruction). The aim result of this study is to show that the revaluation of the ksar is a very vast operation and proposes interventions that allow the preservation of the ksar and also to understand the elements that help the success of interventions and to put some of the parameters considered as reference elements and basic principles for the operations on the ksar and among these operations it is (the case study, which is the restitution of the defensive system of ksar El-Haouita).

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Effects of Infills in the Seismic Performance of an RC Factory Building in Pakistan

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings11070276 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 276

Author(s):

Nisar Ali Khan ◽

Giorgio Monti ◽

Camillo Nuti ◽

Marco Vailati

Keyword(s):

Numerical Model ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Building Codes ◽

Construction Technique ◽

Infill Walls ◽

Mortar Strength ◽

Materials Used ◽

Seismic Response Of Buildings

Infilled reinforced concrete (IRC) frames are a very common construction typology, not only in developing countries such as Pakistan but also in southern Europe and Western countries, due to their ease of construction and less technical skills required for the construction. Their performance during past earthquakes has been in some cases satisfactory and in other cases inadequate. Significant effort has been made among researchers to improve such performance, but few have highlighted the influence of construction materials used in the infill walls. In some building codes, infills are still considered as non-structural elements, both in the design of new buildings and, sometimes, in the assessment of existing buildings. This is mainly due to some difficulties in modeling their mechanical behavior and also the large variety of typologies, which are difficult to categorize. Some building codes, for example, Eurocode, already address the influence of infill walls in design, but there is still a lack of homogeneity among different codes. For example, the Pakistan building code (PBC) does not address infills, despite being a common construction technique in the country. Past earthquake survey records show that construction materials and infill types significantly affect the seismic response of buildings, thus highlighting the importance of investigating such parameters. This is the object of this work, where a numerical model for infill walls is introduced, which aims at predicting their failure mode, as a function of some essential parameters, such as the friction coefficient between mortar and brick surface and mortar strength, usually disregarded in previous models. A comprehensive case study is presented of a three-story IRC frame located in the city of Mirpur, Pakistan, hit by an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 on 24 September 2019. The results obtained from the numerical model show good agreement with the damage patterns observed in situ, thus highlighting the importance of correctly modeling the infill walls when seismically designing or assessing Pakistani buildings that make use of this technology.

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Feasibility Study of the Manufacturing Process of Soil-Cement Blocks for the Construction of Masonry Aiming to Eliminate the Settling Mortar Application

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.600.166 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 600 ◽

pp. 166-174

Author(s):

Liliana Fay ◽

Paul Cooper ◽

Luiz Henrique Lana ◽

Danilo Pereira Souza

Keyword(s):

Water Absorption ◽

Low Cost ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Construction Process ◽

Environmental Practices ◽

Soil Cement ◽

Construction Techniques ◽

New Construction ◽

Technical Innovations ◽

Local Materials

The growing industrialization of the construction materials, the evolution of the construction techniques and ease for conveyance, broadly speaking, eliminates the need to use local materials for construction. However, the earth still presents itself as a material with the potential to reintroduce the old and healthy construction habits, yet without precluding the search for technical innovations consistent with good environmental practices, and that may contribute to the formulation of simpler and cheaper processes. The current work developed the morphology of a new component of construction made with an easy acquisition and low cost material: soil-cement, a material and procedure proven, tested, and regulated. The redesign of a new construction component aims to facilitate the rise of the masonry through an innovative construction process, in which the settling mortar can be eliminated with a perfect fitting system. With the fitting block designed, the mould for pressing was then developed and prototypes were conformed, experimentally, in three soil-cement mixtures showing production feasibility. The prototypes were tested according to the related standards, being submitted to tests of resistance to compression, water absorption and sizing. The results showed that only the water absorption parameter did not comply with the standards and therefore must be targeted by future researches in order to improve the mixture composition.

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REMOTE SENSING AND NIGHT TIME URBAN HEAT ISLAND

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprs-archives-xliii-b3-2021-15-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol XLIII-B3-2021 ◽

pp. 15-22

Author(s):

B. Arellano ◽

J. Roca

Keyword(s):

Heat Waves ◽

Urban Climate ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Thermal Inertia ◽

Cooling Capacity ◽

Night Time ◽

Urban Heat ◽

Materials Used ◽

Significant Health

Abstract. The urban climate literature has highlighted the remarkable prominence of nighttime UHI phenomenon. During nighttime the UHI effects become more evident due to the greater thermal inertia of the materials used in urban fabric. It is during the night when the heat accumulated in urban materials, especially in contexts of heat waves, can generate significant health risks. The low cooling capacity of urban construction materials negatively affects the comfort and the health of urban dwellers. However, and despite the great importance of night stress due to heat, the study of night UHIs is still underdeveloped. In this context, this paper aims to determine nighttime LST contrasting Landsat's very limited nighttime images with daytime ones. The example developed refers to heat wave situations during the summer 2015. The case study is the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (35 municipalities, 636 km2, 3.3 million inhabitants).

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Architectural sustainability: A new inspiration

SAJ - Serbian Architectural Journal ◽

10.5937/saj1601167a ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 167-178

Author(s):

Maddalena Achenza

Keyword(s):

Architectural Design ◽

Vernacular Architecture ◽

Construction Sector ◽

Basic Principles ◽

Sustainable Building ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Materials Used ◽

Contemporary Architecture ◽

Local Materials

Sustainable building, use of local materials, responsible use of soils, re-use, adaptability to climate, are all concepts that became worldwide part of the vocabulary of contemporary architectural design since the energy expenditure in the construction sector has proved to be of such magnitude to be unsustainable in the medium and long term. Yet these are the basic concepts that have always been considered as being of vital importance in vernacular and spontaneous building throughout the world. The great variety of shapes, typologies and materials used were always the optimal response to local social-, weather-, religious conditions and example of essential and efficient use of resources. Buildings were, throughout history, mostly set according to three basic principles: climatic-environmental, socio-cultural and socio-economic. The specific local variations of each of the three principles have generated buildings able to fully respond to the identified needs. This contribution aims to highlight how the lessons taught by vernacular architecture can inspire contemporary architecture and how a reinterpretation of the vernacular heritage can become our challenge for the future.

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Lime-Crusted Rammed Earth: Materials Study

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.831.9 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 831 ◽

pp. 9-13

Author(s):

Camilla Mileto ◽

Fernando Vegas ◽

Francisco Javier Alejandre ◽

Juan Jesús Martín ◽

Lidia García Soriano

Keyword(s):

Outer Wall ◽

Rammed Earth ◽

Architectural Heritage ◽

Construction Technique ◽

Materials Analysis ◽

Vast Array ◽

Construction Techniques ◽

Rammed Earth Wall ◽

Wall Construction ◽

Materials Used

This study analyses the durability of rammed-earth wall construction techniques. The analysis focuses on three medieval masonry types from the Castle of Villavieja (Castellón, Spain) using two variations of lime-reinforced rammed earth in its walls: lime-crusted rammed earth and brick-reinforced rammed earth. Materials analysis reveals the good properties of the materials used in the outer wall facing despite its age. It also clearly shows how deterioration depends more on the construction technique (construction of the wall with a base, cornice, facings, core; on-site installation, bonds, etc.) than on the material itself. These two types of lime-reinforced rammed earth (lime-crusted rammed earth and brick-reinforced rammed earth) are the most common kinds of fortified architecture in the Iberian Peninsula as well as in northern Africa and the Middle East. The case presented herein is therefore highly relevant as it advances our knowledge of the behaviour of the materials comprising these walls and lays the foundations for suitable future conservation works of a vast array of architectural heritage.

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The importance of SEM-EDS analysis in the study of old mortars

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927608089381 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 14 (S3) ◽

pp. 57-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

P. Adriano ◽

A. Santos Silva ◽

M.R. Veiga ◽

J. Mirão ◽

A.E Candeias

Keyword(s):

Microstructural Characterization ◽

Architectural Heritage ◽

Deep Knowledge ◽

Degradation Processes ◽

Eds Analysis ◽

Physical Chemical ◽

Construction Techniques ◽

Materials Used

The study of old mortars composition, using physical-chemical, mineralogical and microstructural characterization has an important role in the preservation of architectural heritage, allowing a deep knowledge about the materials used, construction techniques, possible repairs and degradation processes.

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Multi-Leaf Stone Masonry Walls in Egypt: A Legend

Heritage ◽

10.3390/heritage4040156 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 2763-2791

Author(s):

Osama Amer ◽

Danila Aita ◽

Ezzeldin k. Mohamed ◽

Akram Torky ◽

Ashraf Shawky

Keyword(s):

Construction Materials ◽

Stone Masonry ◽

Masonry Walls ◽

Construction Technology ◽

Architectural Heritage ◽

Construction Technique ◽

Historic Masonry ◽

Transversal Section ◽

Materials Used

Multi-leaf stone masonry walls are a typical construction technique in architectural heritage in Egypt. The assessment, modeling, and strengthening of historic masonry walls of multi-leaf systems essentially require suitable knowledge of their construction technology, typology, geometrical characteristics, and the properties of their components. Within the current research project, a comprehensive structural survey of multiple-leaf walls of medieval historic buildings in Cairo was performed. The observation and statistical analyses allowed characterization of the transversal section of the surveyed walls, as well as examination and identification of the construction materials and techniques. The slenderness ratios of this type of wall, its blocks’ dimensions, the utilized connectivity between the inner and outer leaves, and leaves ratio were also investigated. Three construction hypotheses of multiple-leaf stone masonry walls are presented considering weak, thick, and monolithic core infill layers. The study’s objectives were to enlarge the knowledge of typology, morphology, and construction materials used in three-leaf masonry walls and provide a proper characterization as a prerequisite for determining the most suitable materials and techniques for further strengthening interventions.

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