Final Report: Laboratory Assessment of Soil – Cement Mortars Used in Prehistoric Ruins Stabilization in the National Park Service
Fenn DB and Chambers GJ. 1978. Final Report: Laboratory Assessment of Soil – Cement Mortars Used in Prehistoric Ruins Stabilization in the National Park Service. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Western Archeological Conservation Center. Tucson, Arizona
The use of soil-cement as a basic construction material in prehistoric ruins stabilization projects has become a standard practice in many National Park Service areas. This practice developed as a result of two factors, namely, the need for a strong and durable mortar and capping material, and the finding that pure Portland cement often had a detrimental effect on the rate of stone decay. The use of soil-cement has not developed' along scientific lines but rather has depended upon the experience and preferences of the ruins stabilizer. The widely varying properties of soils from one area to another and the similarly varying properties of the stone construction materials in each prehistoric ruin has caused a great deal of variability in the effectiveness of the soil-cement mixes used. This study was designed to provide a thorough and complete analysis of the soil and stone from thirteen National Park Service areas presently using soil-cement and to contrast the properties of three soil-cement mix ratios with each soil. With this data, it should be possible to recommend the proper soil-cement ratios to use to produce the most compatible mortar and what special .procedures, if any, to use with each particular soil. The stone and soil-cement analyses for this study were conducted by Dr. Hassan A. Sultan of the University of Arizona Engineering Experiment Station in Tucson, Arizona (5, 6). The soil chemical and physical properties analyses for this study were conducted by Mr. Ted W. McCreary, Director of the University .of Arizona Soils, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory (3). The results of this study and the attending recommendations are detailed in the following pages of this report.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Fenn, Dennis; Chambers, George
- Date of Issue
- 1978-01-09
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Western Archeological Conservation Center
- Units
- AZRU , BAND , CHCU , FOBO , GRCA , IMR , MEVE , MOCA , NAVA , SAGU , TONT , TUZI , WACA , WACC , WUPA
- Keywords
- alamo bottoms, caliche, cement mortar, chettro kettle, crack-in-rock, frijolito ruin, kin bineola, kin ya'a, prehistoric ruins, pueblo alto, ruins stabilization, soil analysis, tsankowi ruin, tusayan ruin, tyounyi ruin, tzin kletzin, wupatki