Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal Loads
This study investigates the structural behavior of bahareque earth walls, a traditional construction system commonly used in rural areas of northern South America. Bahareque (wattle and daub) walls, consisting of guadua (a bamboo-like material) or wooden frames filled with soil mixes, have demonstra...
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2024-12-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/1/4 |
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| author | Karol Cristancho Iván Fernando Otálvaro Daniel M. Ruiz Natalia Barrera Jesús D. Villalba-Morales Yezid A. Alvarado Orlando Cundumí |
| author_facet | Karol Cristancho Iván Fernando Otálvaro Daniel M. Ruiz Natalia Barrera Jesús D. Villalba-Morales Yezid A. Alvarado Orlando Cundumí |
| author_sort | Karol Cristancho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the structural behavior of bahareque earth walls, a traditional construction system commonly used in rural areas of northern South America. Bahareque (wattle and daub) walls, consisting of guadua (a bamboo-like material) or wooden frames filled with soil mixes, have demonstrated considerable resilience in seismic zones due to their lightweight and flexible nature. Despite their widespread use in these communities, limited scientific data exist on their seismic performance under in-plane pseudo-static horizontal loading. This research addresses this gap by experimentally evaluating the seismic behavior of five wall models with different combinations of guadua, wood, and earth filling materials. The methodology included four main phases, namely field visits to document traditional construction techniques, material characterization, prototype testing under pseudo-static loads, and an analysis of mechanical behavior. Key material properties, including compressive strength and Young’s modulus, were determined, alongside the mechanical and physical properties of the infill material, which incorporated natural fibers. Pseudo-static tests were conducted on five wall prototypes, featuring various configurations of guadua and wood frameworks, both with and without soil infill. The walls were subjected to horizontal in-plane loads to assess their deformation capacity, energy dissipation, and failure mechanisms. The results indicated that walls with soil mixture infill—specifically the GSHS (guadua frame with horizontal guadua strips and soil mixture infill) and TSHS (wood frame with horizontal guadua strips and soil mixture infill) configurations—demonstrated the best seismic performance, with maximum displacements reaching up to 166 mm and strengths ranging from 6.4 to 8.4 kN. The study concludes that bahareque walls, particularly those incorporating soil mixes and horizontal guadua strips, exhibit high resilience under seismic conditions and provide a sustainable construction alternative for rural regions. The scope of this study is limited by the exclusion of dynamic seismic simulations, which could offer additional insights into the behavior of bahareque walls under real earthquake conditions. The novelty of this research lies in the direct evaluation of the seismic performance of traditional bahareque configurations, specifically comparing walls constructed with guadua and wooden frameworks, while emphasizing the critical role of soil infill and guadua strips in structural performance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-657fc9fb31864fa2ba1e9430b5ebf7da |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj-art-657fc9fb31864fa2ba1e9430b5ebf7da2025-01-10T13:15:45ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092024-12-01151410.3390/buildings15010004Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal LoadsKarol Cristancho0Iván Fernando Otálvaro1Daniel M. Ruiz2Natalia Barrera3Jesús D. Villalba-Morales4Yezid A. Alvarado5Orlando Cundumí6Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali 760031, ColombiaDepartment of Civil and Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali 760031, ColombiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, ColombiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, ColombiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, ColombiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, ColombiaDepartment of Civil and Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali 760031, ColombiaThis study investigates the structural behavior of bahareque earth walls, a traditional construction system commonly used in rural areas of northern South America. Bahareque (wattle and daub) walls, consisting of guadua (a bamboo-like material) or wooden frames filled with soil mixes, have demonstrated considerable resilience in seismic zones due to their lightweight and flexible nature. Despite their widespread use in these communities, limited scientific data exist on their seismic performance under in-plane pseudo-static horizontal loading. This research addresses this gap by experimentally evaluating the seismic behavior of five wall models with different combinations of guadua, wood, and earth filling materials. The methodology included four main phases, namely field visits to document traditional construction techniques, material characterization, prototype testing under pseudo-static loads, and an analysis of mechanical behavior. Key material properties, including compressive strength and Young’s modulus, were determined, alongside the mechanical and physical properties of the infill material, which incorporated natural fibers. Pseudo-static tests were conducted on five wall prototypes, featuring various configurations of guadua and wood frameworks, both with and without soil infill. The walls were subjected to horizontal in-plane loads to assess their deformation capacity, energy dissipation, and failure mechanisms. The results indicated that walls with soil mixture infill—specifically the GSHS (guadua frame with horizontal guadua strips and soil mixture infill) and TSHS (wood frame with horizontal guadua strips and soil mixture infill) configurations—demonstrated the best seismic performance, with maximum displacements reaching up to 166 mm and strengths ranging from 6.4 to 8.4 kN. The study concludes that bahareque walls, particularly those incorporating soil mixes and horizontal guadua strips, exhibit high resilience under seismic conditions and provide a sustainable construction alternative for rural regions. The scope of this study is limited by the exclusion of dynamic seismic simulations, which could offer additional insights into the behavior of bahareque walls under real earthquake conditions. The novelty of this research lies in the direct evaluation of the seismic performance of traditional bahareque configurations, specifically comparing walls constructed with guadua and wooden frameworks, while emphasizing the critical role of soil infill and guadua strips in structural performance.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/1/4baharequeearthen wallsseismic performanceguaduabamboopseudo-static tests |
| spellingShingle | Karol Cristancho Iván Fernando Otálvaro Daniel M. Ruiz Natalia Barrera Jesús D. Villalba-Morales Yezid A. Alvarado Orlando Cundumí Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal Loads Buildings bahareque earthen walls seismic performance guadua bamboo pseudo-static tests |
| title | Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal Loads |
| title_full | Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal Loads |
| title_fullStr | Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal Loads |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal Loads |
| title_short | Seismic Behavior of Bahareque Walls Under In-Plane Horizontal Loads |
| title_sort | seismic behavior of bahareque walls under in plane horizontal loads |
| topic | bahareque earthen walls seismic performance guadua bamboo pseudo-static tests |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/1/4 |
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