Application of Infra-Red Thermography to the Analysis of Construction of the Valencian Rammed Earth Walls of The Seminary-School of Corpus Christi in Valencia (Spain)

Abstract

Infra-red thermography is widely utilised in the restoration of buildings. This article presents a novel method in the application of thermography to the analysis of rammed earth walls, and the Valencian rammed earth wall, or tapia valenciana, in particular. For this study, the authors chose The Colegio de Corpus Christi de Valencia (Spain). First, an analysis of costs incurred during the construction of the Colegio (built 1586-1610) was carried out. Second, thermographic techniques were utilised to gather further data on its construction process and corroborate information appearing in historical records. The rammed earth walls of this large building rest upon a stone footing. This study proposes a methodology that can be extensively applied to other similar studies with a view to understanding construction processes.