Abstract
The rural and monumental architecture of Northern Spain gives testimony of the wide-ranging constructive possibilities of traditional gypsum for exterior and structural applications. However, today, gypsum is only used for finishing purposes. By combining a bibliographic review with local visits/interviews and experimental gypsum calcinations, we were able to document traditional processing methods and analyze the factors responsible for the decline of exterior and structural gypsum use. Obtained results are also valid for other European countries and contribute to a better understanding of the technical peculiarities of traditional gypsum, hopefully reviving traditional processing techniques to produce compatible and sustainable conservation materials.
Highlights
Today, gypsum is mainly used for decorative or finishing purposes, it has been historically applied as a structural material for columns, load-bearing walls, slabs, structural ribs, arches, and vaults (Mileto et al 2011; Sanz Arauz and Villanueva Domínguez 2004; Vegas et al 2010)
This holistic approach enabled a detailed documentation and analysis, which contributes to a better understanding of the technical peculiarities of this historic building material and, hopefully, will result in a revival of traditional manufacturing techniques in order to obtain a suitable product for structural use in sustainable new constructions and compatible conservation mortars and plasters for architectural heritage interventions (Bel-Anzué et al 2017; Middendorf 2002; Schlütter et al 2010). The latter being of outmost importance, considering that more recently, a lack of an in-depth knowledge regarding the properties of traditional gypsum has resulted in several unsuccessful restoration interventions in the case of important monuments and buildings, evidencing the incompatibility of modern replacement materials such as industrial gypsum and Portland cement. This investigation has been undertaken in order to achieve the following three objectives: (i) to establish a chronological timeline of the architectural use of traditional gypsum in Aragon; (ii) to give a detailed description of the traditional gypsum technology and changes suffered during the twentieth century, considering all processing steps including the selection of quarries, extraction methods, type of kiln and combustion material, calcination conditions, and means of crushing, storage and transport to the construction site; and (iii) to identify factors leading to changes in gypsum use, including technical and social-economical aspects, demography, and changes in construction systems
The outcome of our study revealed that widespread use of gypsum for construction purposes in Aragon can be directly related to the arrival of Islamic migrants, leading to a significant increase in the population towards the middle of the eleventh century and greatly furthering intercultural relations throughout the southern Mediterranean and the Near and Middle East, where the architectural use of gypsum had a longstanding tradition
Summary
Gypsum is mainly used for decorative or finishing purposes, it has been historically applied as a structural material for columns, load-bearing walls, slabs, structural ribs, arches, and vaults (Mileto et al 2011; Sanz Arauz and Villanueva Domínguez 2004; Vegas et al 2010). Gypsum was the preferred binder for masonry mortars and decorative plasters in Ancient Egypt and Greece (Lucas and Harris 1962). Many examples of great architectural wealth built with gypsum can be found in the Middle East, where gypsum played an important role in the traditional architecture and was used either directly as blocks or, after calcination, as mortars and plasters for façades, floors, and structural elements (Elsen 2006; Rodríguez-Navarro 2012; Vegas et al 2010). The abundant availability of gypsum translates into its great presence in the traditional Aragonese monumental and popular architecture.
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