Investigation of the mortars and clay bricks of a luso-brazilian historic structure from XVIII century: the Nosso Senhor do Bonfim Church

Abstract

Heritage constructions (HC) presents cultural, historical and architectural remarks of a commu- nity. This way, maintenance and rehabilitation of HC is an effort each time necessary for keep these structures in safety and in good state of conservation for the future generations. The ma- terials characterization can be a key for that. To characterize the materials of a HC can allow to collect information to support the decision on what conservation strategy to follow, as well give information on the constructive techniques employed and its originality. This work has as the main aim to investigate the physical and chemical characteristic of the mortars and clay bricks samples of the Nosso Senhor do Bonfim Church, placed at Aracati downtown, in the Cear´a State, Northeast of Brazil. The church was built in XVIII century and the main façade presents the so- called as “barroco sertanejo”, an architectonic style influenced by Portuguese baroque. A Por- tuguese heritage from the Brazil colonial period. The results showed the existence of two different mortars layers covering the church walls, where in the most superficial layer cement presence was detected. Information on the original mortar composition was collect, as well clay bricks physical and mechanical properties. This information can be useful for materials and strategy selection in future interventions on the Nosso Senhor do Bonfim Church and contributes to fill the gap of information on luso-brazilian historic construction.