Print this page Print this page

Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings

Jeffrey Havelin, P.E.


Course Outline

The purpose of this (One-Hour) course is to provide the architect or engineer with a fundamental understanding and the technical knowledge associated with Historic Adobe Buildings. The adobe, or sun-dried brick, is one of the oldest and most common building materials known to man.

This course discusses the traditional materials and construction of adobe buildings and the causes of adobe deterioration. It also makes recommendations for preserving historic adobe buildings. By its composition, adobe construction is inclined to deteriorate; however, the buildings can be made durable and renewable when properly maintained.

This course is based entirely on the web version of the National Park Service Preservation Brief 05 which is entitled “Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings” as published by the National Park Service- U.S. Department of the Interior.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.


Learning Objective

This course will specifically review and provide an understanding of Historic Adobe Buildings:


Intended Audience

This course would be very informative for Architects or Professional Engineers that are involved with Historic Adobe Buildings.


Benefit to the Attendees

This course recommends measures that will provide an increased knowledge of the characteristics of slate and its detailing and installation on the roof can lead to more sensitive interventions in which original material is preserved and the building's historic character maintained.


Course Introduction

The primary focus of this course has been to provide an increased knowledge of the characteristics of Historic Adobe buildings. Adobe buildings are inclined to deteriorate; however, the buildings can be made durable and renewable when properly maintained.

This course discusses the traditional materials and construction of adobe buildings and the causes of adobe deterioration. It also makes recommendations for preserving historic adobe buildings.


Course Content

This course is based entirely on the web version of the National Park Service Preservation Brief 05 which is entitled “Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings” as published by the National Park Service- U.S. Department of the Interior.

The link to the course materials is as follows:

Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings

(http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief05.htm)

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.


Course Summary

The preservation of historic adobe buildings is a broader and more complex problem than most people realize. The propensity of adobe to deteriorate is a natural, ongoing process. While it would be desirable to arrest that process in order to safeguard the building, no satisfactory method has yet been developed.


Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.