Hacia una metodología para la caracterización experimental del comportamiento a compresión de la mampostería de adobe

In the Iberian Peninsula there are numerous houses and heritage sites built with earthen materials. Nowadays, there is also a significant revival of the use of raw earth in modern architecture due to its ecological value and architectural performance. However, there is still a lack of scientific knowledge about its mechanical behavior, as well as specifications for a rigorous characterization. In this paper, an experimental analysis is carried out in order to develop a methodology for the characterization of the adobe masonry as a building material. Methodological issues for obtaining the strain field of the specimens and the choice of the Young module estimators are considered. The mechanical properties of the adobe masonry and the failure mechanisms are analyzed. In the present study, the mechanical behavior of the adobe masonry coming from the Guadalquivir riverbank in Seville (Spain) is specifically studied under compressive loads.