Outputs from the research developed at the University of Aveiro regarding the mechanical characterization of existing adobe constructions in Portugal and proposals for rehabilitation and strengthening

In Portugal, mainly in Aveiro region, adobe buildings were the prevailing construction system during the first half of the 20th century. Presently, the legacy that results from the patrimony built in that period is still significant-about 30% of the existing constructions in the region- and, moreover, it is comprised by a large number of patrimonial buildings of high historical, cultural and architectural value. A marked negligence in the rehabilitation of this patrimony has been observed in the last decades, and has resulted in the actual damage state presented by many of these constructions, which generally resulted in unfavourable safety and durability conditions. However, in the last years, an increasing interest in the conservation and rehabilitation of the adobe patrimony in the region, associated with environmental, economical and patrimonial safeguard factors, has been demonstrated by public administrative entities and also by the private sphere. In face of this reality, which emphasizes the need and importance of developing intervention strategies that may enable, by rehabilitation and/or strengthening, extending the lifespan of these structures, a group of researchers of the University of Aveiro has been developing a multidisciplinary study on the adobe construction in Portugal. The main objective of this research work is the creation of a test results database that may support rehabilitation and/or strengthening interventions, and also the study of solutions for the improvement of the structural behaviour of these constructions. In this sense, the research carried out was constituted seeking to contribute to the knowledge of this type of adobe masonry, focused mainly on their rehabilitation, providing information to the professionals and institutions working in the field of heritage conservation.