Earth and vegetable fibers for the roofs. Characterization of local practices, techniques and materials from communities in northern Argentina

TOMASI, JORGE

Santa Fe

Congreso; Terra 2022. 13th World Congress on Earthen Architectural Heritage; 2022

ISCEAH y Getty Conservation Institute

Different researches have shown the existence of a diversity of techniques for roofing with earth in different places. However, these techniques have not been particularly considered in the literature on construction with earth, at least not with the same intensity that is observed for those used for the materialization of walls. Same situation can be observed in the case of studies associated with the conservation of these techniques, where there is a certain lack of analysis of pathologies, best strategies for their remediation, and recommended actions for their maintenance. This becomes problematic as damage to the roof chains different pathologies in other parts of buildings. This paper will focus on the characterization and analysis of two techniques used on roofs in different communities of northern Argentina, as well as nearby regions: “torteado” and “guayado”. While the first consists of a series of continuous layers of soil in a plastic state with different stabilizers, the second is based on the use of straw embedded in mud in a viscous state. Both techniques have had and have a high presence in buildings of heritage value in the region, and have been subject to multiple transformations due to erroneous strategies for their conservation. As part of this work, materials used, procedures for their execution, possibilities and weaknesses they present and potential pathologies that may arise in relation to these techniques will be analyzed. The material presented arises from the registry carried out in recent years in the region as part of a broader research, which has allowed different instances of participatory observation in concrete roofing actions in different communities, within the framework of an ethnographic approach. This will be complemented with laboratory information derived from the studies on raw materials.