Adobe constructions in the world: a first overview

Adobe constructions date back thousands of years and are a significant fraction of the world’s built heritage, including UNESCO sites. Even though adobe dwellings are still built in some regions, a number of experimental and theoretical studies have delineated the vulnerability levels of these constructions. A significant concentration of adobe constructions in regions with moderate-to-high levels of seismic hazard has been observed as well, resulting in huge human losses during earthquakes. Therefore, the knowledge of the structural performance and seismic reinforcement of adobe constructions provides the basis for their structural vulnerability reduction, allowing disaster risk mitigation and community preparedness. This is also a strategic task to meet sustainability and community resilience goals in multiple countries, where guidelines for both existing and new adobe constructions must be implemented. This chapter provides readers with preliminary information on history, worldwide distribution, construction features and observed performance of adobe constructions for different demand scenarios. These topics are recalled and discussed in more detail in subsequent chapters.