Investigations into the improvement of the weather protection of unburnt brick masonry, part 1 / Untersuchungen zur Verbesserung des Witterungsschutzes von Lehmmauerwerk, Teil 1

In June 2006, the Chair of Structural Design at the Technical University of Dresden was commissioned by the Iranian cultural authority ICHHTO and the UNESCO to perform structural design services for the earthquake-resistant repair and rebuilding of the Sistani House in the historic citadel Arg-e-Bam in the south of Iran. The citadel was until its almost complete destruction by an earthquake on 26 Dezember 2003 the largest building of unburnt brick masonry in the world and is listed as a World heritage Site by UNESCO because of its cultural and historical significance. Surveying and documentation work, archaeological rubble clearance and the rebuilding of the Sistani House after its destruction by the earthquake have taken the team from the department to Bam at regular intervals since 2006. In the course of the work, it became apparent that research was needed in the field of the repair of earthquake-damaged unburnt brick masonry and into the improvement of the shear strength/earthquake resistance and the weather protection of unburnt brick masonry.
The article is subdivided in Part 1, Introduction, test performance and assessment of results for additives to loam render as well as Part 2, Assessment of the results for surface treatment to unburnt bricks and the climatic chamber tests.