The Saadian sugar refinery of Chichaoua (Morocco): constructive and structural investigations for conservation

The Saadian sugar refinery of Chichaoua (XVI century), located southwest of Marrakech, is a large rammed earth building of relevant architectonic value, abandoned with the fall of Saadian dynasty. A structural study was undertaken to characterize the materials, to understand the construction techniques and to identify the structural criticities and the surface decay. In particular, carrying out physical and mineralogical analysis on earth samples, the use of two types of material was found, a first one with only soil earth and a second one with added lime. Mechanical tests, carried out by sclerometer and in laboratory, highlighted that the lime added earth exhibits great strength, exceeding the values known for that kind of building material. This conclusion throw light on the sophisticated building culture of the Saadian period in Morocco, as the El Bedi palace in Marrakech testifies too. The study of crack patterns shows the most common mechanisms of damage and consequently appropriate consolidation strategies.