Survey on the main defects in ancient buildings constructed mainly with natural raw materials

Abstract

Many of the existing buildings constructed mostly with natural raw materials, in European sites, are frequently lacking proper maintenance and, therefore, a high degree of de-gradation is verified in these buildings compromising their integrity and reducing their lifetime probability. Often in the rehabilitation or reconstruction of old buildings the solution adopted is the partial or integral demolition and substitution of several building components. The aims of this study are to describe the most common constructive solutions in Portuguese buildings con-structed with raw natural materials, to specify the principal problems that affect each building component, and to present possible solutions to correct each defect. This study is focused on the principal elements that compose the building structures in Portugal, including load-bearing walls, wooden floor and roof structures. The corrective solutions presented and studied privi-leges the adoption of materials and techniques similar and most compatible with the original ones.