Mejoramiento del recubrimiento en construcciones de bahareque, por clasificación granulométrica. Caso de estudio, Comunidad indígena Amoyá, vereda La Virginia, Chaparral Tolima

Abstract

The native constructions have a unique and special architecture depending on the place and customs of the community. The materials and techniques are varied, so they are considered heritage in different areas of the country. The housings built by the Amoyá native community (La Virginia, rural district in Chaparral, Tolima) are characterized by being made of traditional bahareque, with guadua structures and local round wood. Nowadays, the community housings built with this method, present damages caused mostly by lack of technique in their construction, in addition to the climatic and biotic agents that are prevalent in the region. One of the biggest problems is the detachment of the coating that brings as a consequence, harms in the structure of the building, decreasing its endurance and lifetime. In order to improve the coating of the bahareque and avoid future injuries in the housings because of this problem, the present study was made, through the investigative-analytical method, about the most important injuries and characteristics of the housings built in traditional bahareque by the community, identified in the field trip, where some land samples and photographic record of the buildings were taken. The photographic record was analyzed, defining the main constructive problems and predominant materials in the constructions. The appropriate tests with the land samples brought from the study area were carried out, the results were analyzed and concluded, hence the conceptual research that led to the development of a response to the hypothesis on which the objectives of the present project were developed. In the tests made to the land samples, it was observed that the low amount of clayey material and the abundant presence of sands, caused that the plaster material did not have enough adhesion and therefore with the passing of time there are wear, fissure and detachment of the coating. From these observations it was determined that the properties of the soil would improve if it goes through a granulometric separation process, increasing the percentage of fine material, a theory that was confirmed in the volumetric contraction test in which well sieved earth was used and the result was a firm, compact and very resistant plaster. More testings about the granulometric extraction of fine clays were developed, since the purpose was to generate a consistent mixture for the plaster of the bahareque that did not present damages or injuries as those evidenced in the field trip. Finally, two test models were elaborated that allowed us to dictate the behaviors with respect to the traditional process of the community and the one proposed in the present investigation; a monitoring form was implemented to record the resulting data from the construction of the models and it was concluded that by carrying out a granulometric selection process, the final mix for the coat of plaster in bahareque structures can significantly increase its adherence and efficiency.