•  
  •  
 

Abstract

This research investigates the historic mortars (Aggregate/Binder (A/B) ratio) of a historical patrimony building, dating from the 15th century, in Algeria, for restoration purposes. It is well known that thorough characterization is essential for successful restoration. To this end, several techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), optical microscope were used to characterize the historic mortars. A mechanical test was used to characterize the compressive strength of a historic mortar. For a comprehensive characterization, A/B ratios were estimated using both Digital Image Analyses (DIA) and chemical analyses. The results obtained provided clear information on the fractions of aggregate and binder. The A/B ratios found of the historic mortars were in line with those found in the literature in historical building. It should be noted that chemical analyses were applied to all mortars, whereas the DIA method was limited to a few mortars (not applicable to earth-based mortars). The results of the A/B ratio for both methods are compared. Nevertheless, the estimation of the A/B ratios of historic mortars using the DIA method alone is insufficient and needs to be strengthened with robust methods such as the chemical one for more accurate and reliable estimation.

Download

Share

COinS