Experimental Analysis of Romanesque Masonries Made by Tile and Brick Fragments Found at the Archaeological Site of S. Maria in Portuno

Abstract

The reuse of ancient ceramic fragments in Romanesque masonries was a common practice in the Medieval era. A cultural impoverishment of the masonry building art characterized this period. Pre-existing structures were often exploited to build new masonries, both for civil and religious purpose. Starting from these general considerations, a specific construction technique of some Romanesque masonries of the Church of S. Maria in Portuno (Italy) and made by tile and brick fragments, was studied by a multidisciplinary approach. Analyses of the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of the original materials (tile and brick fragments, mortars) were carried out by laboratory tests. Furthermore, some wall specimens were reproduced through the same ceramic materials and construction technique of the original masonries. Compression tests were carried out on these wall specimens so as to understand the influence of this construction technique on their compressive strength, Young's modulus, and failure mode. The results allowed increased current knowledge on historical materials and on the mechanical behavior of these specific historical masonries. Useful data obtained by experimental characterization of the materials and walls will also allow to guide future restoration works on these masonries.