Adobe
,_ca.1902_(CHS-772).jpg)
Adobe is a building material made from soil and often organic matter.[1] Adobe means mudbrick in Spanish.[2] It can also mean any kind of earth construction.
Adobe is one of the earliest building materials ever used.[3] It is found all over the world. The techniques used in adobe construction have not changed since the 16th century in the Southwestern United States.[3] Because they are not fired in a kiln they never become hard.[3] They shrink and swell as the water content in them changes.[3] Also, as they get wetter, they become weaker.[3]
Adobe does not permanently stick to wood, metal or stone because it moves more than they do.[3] This causes cracks and seperation from other materials.[3] Stone is sometimes used as a foundation and wood for the roof.[3] These are usually held in place by their own weight or the weight of the adobe pressing down on them.[3] But adobe construction is cheap and the materials are usually easy to find.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Solid Earth Adobe Buildings". SolidEarth.co.nz. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ↑ "adobe". Meram-Webster Dictionaries. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings". Technical Preservation Services. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 8, 2017.