The Experience of Adobe-Mud Bricks Strengthening in Bam Citadel after the 2003 Bam Earthquake

In the last years, several universal studies have been devoted to achieve optimalstabilization strategy for adobe-mud brick materials. In these researches, different aspect of adobe materials ranging from physical-mechanical and mineralogical characterizations to possible reinforcement with natural fibres (e.g. jute, palm, straw, hump etc.) and chemical stabilizers (e.g. portland cement, hydrated lime and pozzolanas etc.) have been studied. The aims of these studies were to enhance the strength and durability of adobe materials as these additives or stabilizers not only are able to increase the stability of adobe bricks against of loads applied, but also they are able to protect them from deterioration agents. Generally, the following study describes the background and characteristic of adobe-mud brick briefly, where as a ubiquitous form of construction material, they are still built up in many regions of the world with hot/arid climate conditions. Then, after an overview on the effects of major additives and stabilizers existed, it deals with the experience of the production of reinforced adobe-mud bricks during reconstruction project of Bam Citadel after the 2003 Bam earthquake.

Keywords:

Adobe-Mud Bricks , Strengthening , Additives , Bam Citadel , 2003 Bam Earthquake