Durable mortars of a Portuguese military structure from the XVIth century.

Abstract

In coastal areas of Portugal, many historical buildings and fortresses exist which are constructed of masonry based in air lime mortars. These mortars are often still in good condition, specially showing good cohesion and adhesion to the background, although they usually present degradation on the surface, as a result of the sea aggressive environment. The purpose of this paper is to present and characterize the mortars and plasters solutions of one of these fortresses, with different periods of construction. The study of the mortars permitted to identify a chronology of periods of construction, to improve the knowledge of the evolution mechanisms of air lime mortars and to choose compatible repair solutions.