As a part of the research works that has been carried out on the Alcazaba Wall in Mérida, stand out the ones whose aim is: to know the used materials (both mechanical and petrological properties), diagnose the degradation processes and to establish corrective actions of Alcazarejo Wall, located in the western sector of the Alcazaba of Merida.
The characterization works and structural evaluation are the following ones:
- The typological description of different elements of the wall.
- An overview of the mechanical properties and resistant performance of these elements.
- Finally, the identification of the processes and mechanisms due to a bad resistant performance which are the reason why some damage were appearing on the Wall.
The main reason of the detected damage is the loss of the case-hardening stuffed inside the walls and the bad grain size measurement.
The stuffing is out of condition principally due to the suffered washing through the runoff water flowing from the crown to the base of the walls, where it comes out sweeping a part of the filling material.
It has been also detected strength damage (fissures, separation of ashlars, convexity of the walls, etc.) which mean an incorrect tensional operation, because of a poor durability or a wrong maintenance of the structure, rather than a bearing failure of the wall.
