Author
SILVA, R.
ISISE, University of Minho, Department of Civil Engineering
SCHUEREMANS, L.
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Department of Civil Engineering
OLIVEIRA, D.
ISISE, University of Minho, Department of Civil Engineering

Abstract
Building with earth is one of the most ancient and traditional ways of building. Consequently, many historic and new-built earthen buildings can be found all over the world. However, the specific characteristics of earthen materials make earth constructions very sensitive to external damaging agents. In particular, the weakness and fragility extensively recognized on earthen materials make this type of constructions very vulnerable from a structural perspective. In general, the structural damage on earth constructions occurs in the form of cracks, which debilitate the structural behaviour and compromise the durability. Injection of mud grouts can be seen as a reliable and economic solution for repairing earth constructions. The success of such intervention on a historical construction would require an appropriated design methodology. However, the knowledge about mud grouts is still limited, and thus research efforts are needed to develop a methodology to overcome many of the difficulties that the restorers of earth constructions are currently facing. Understanding the rheology of mud grouts is one of the key issues of the process. Hence, this paper explains an initial proposal for the design of mud grouts and an experimental campaign that aimed to understand the role of the clay fraction in the rheology of mud grouts.

Key words
Adobe, rammed earth, mud grout, rheology