Structural vulnerability of adobe block buildings in Rama Mainland

Abstract

Rama Maindland is a community located 12.85 kilometers southwest of the city of Bluefields, where buildings have been constructed using compressed soil-cement adobe, an uncommon material in the region. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the structural vulnerability of these buildings, which according to our hypothesis have little resistance to the onslaught of hydrometeorological phenomena that directly hit the area. The site was evaluated, physically characterized by means of cards, architectural surveys of the buildings were carried out and block units were subjected to laboratory tests. The results of the histogram evaluation of the site where the buildings are located, was 2.25 vulnerability to certain hazards, with environmental limitations that could harm the health of the inhabitants. In the physical lifting, cracks were found in the buildings, but they are not so serious. As for the laboratory tests applied to the adobe blocks, they obtained an average resistance value of 54.67 kg/cm2 (779.50 PSI) in the compressive strength and 13.22% in the absorption test, both results do not meet the requirements of Nicaraguan Mandatory Technical Standard 12 008-16.