CLAYONRISK · Bricks manufacturing technologies to increase built heritage resilience and to raise common identities of peoples

Bricks manufacturing technologies to increase built heritage resilience and to raise common identities of peoples

Interdisciplinary studies of bricks shaping historical structures provide a knowledge base loaded with heritage and technological value. Hence, the manufacturing processes are meaningfully linked with the cultural identity and improve the understanding of bricks physical performance and resistance over time (durability), that could be applied to current ceramic industry in order to produce quality bricks by means of eco-innovative and sustainable processes. Such topics are important for society because: a) the knowledge attained represents a heritage resource that confers special cohesion and identity, b) comprehensive studies of ancient bricks represents a preventive measure to increase built heritage resilience towards earthquakes and climate changes, and c) outputs should be transferred to new bricks production in order to achieve eco-friendly solutions. The CLAYONRISK project has addressed ancient brick resistance over time from the manufacturing process via three main objectives: a) to perform a multianalitical study of the ancient bricks that shape the built heritage of the city of Padua (Veneto region, Northern Italy) belonging to Roman, Late Antiquity, Medieval and Renaissance times, b) to state the influence of the manufacturing on bricks physical (mechanical and hydric) behaviour and durability, and c) to highlight the data to transfer to current ceramic industry regarding to sustainable raw materials supply and environment protection. The main conclusions are: a) clayey bricks shape the image of Padua, with colour changes from yellowish to beige and to reddish hue from Roman to Renaissance times, b) even though a low vitrification degree was achieved, the bricks have been rather resistant over time, c) the diverse sintering of the yellowish-beige and the reddish hue bodies -that has led differential mechanical and hydric performances- and the high humidity of the city -that allows that the humid conditions within the bodies remain fairly constant- have turned out beneficial for the conservation of bricks and structures, and d) the use of local clays may reduce the transport costs and may allow the production of quality bricks without requiring very high temperatures, so the consume of energy and CO2 would be decreased. The CLAYONRISK project has entailed a major impact on the career development of the MSCA fellow, that has worked in an independent way, has strengthened her research profile, has extended her professional network and has enlarged her future prospects.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union