History and Characterization of Mortars in Spanish New World Fortifications: a Case Study on El Castillo De San Cristóbal, San Juan, Puerto Rico

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History and Characterization of Mortars in Spanish New World Fortifications: a Case Study on El Castillo De San Cristóbal, San Juan, Puerto Rico University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation January 2004 History and Characterization of Mortars in Spanish New World Fortifications: A Case Study on El Castillo de San Cristóbal, San Juan, Puerto Rico Jeremy C. Wells University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Wells, Jeremy C., "History and Characterization of Mortars in Spanish New World Fortifications: A Case Study on El Castillo de San Cristóbal, San Juan, Puerto Rico" (2004). Theses (Historic Preservation). 62. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/62 Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Historic Preservation 2004. Advisor: Frank G. Matero This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/62 For more information, please contact [email protected]. History and Characterization of Mortars in Spanish New World Fortifications: A Case Study on El Castillo de San Cristóbal, San Juan, Puerto Rico Comments Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Historic Preservation 2004. Advisor: Frank G. Matero This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/62 HISTORY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MORTARS IN SPANISH NEW WORLD FORTIFICATIONS: A CASE STUDY ON EL CASTILLO DE SAN CRISTÓBAL, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Jeremy C. Wells A THESIS in Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE 2004 ____________________________ ____________________________ Advisor Reader Frank G. Matero A. Elena Charola Associate Professor of Architecture Lecturer in Historic Preservation ____________________________ Graduate Group Chair Frank G. Matero Associate Professor of Architecture DEDICATION To my wife, Jeanne, for her tireless support of my academic endeavors. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Prof. Frank G. Matero, for his expertise and guidance through this rigorous, but rewarding experience; Dr. A. Elena Charola for kindly agreeing to be a reader while teaching in Spain; Mr. William Romanow at the Laboratory for the Research on the Structure of Matter for his assistance in interpreting XRD results; Ms. Beth Price at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for kindly running and interpreting FTIR and SEM/EDS tests; and Mr. Félix López, Mr. Carlos Almodovar, and the other employees at the San Juan National Historic Site for their time and generous assistance. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Site selection, focus of inquiry, and methodology.................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Site selection ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Focus of inquiry .................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 4 1.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 6 Chapter 2: Site history................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Historical context ................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.1 Design origins ...........................................................................................................7 2.2.2 The founding of Puerto Rico and the construction of the first fortifications ............ 11 2.2.3 The eighteenth century fortification campaign for Fort San Cristóbal..................... 14 2.2.4 Nineteenth and twentieth centuries ........................................................................ 18 2.2.4 Nineteenth and twentieth centuries ........................................................................ 19 2.3 Building description and chronology................................................................................. 20 2.3.1 Building selection .................................................................................................... 20 2.3.2 Entrance ramp to main gate (ID# 01) ..................................................................... 20 2.3.3 South Gate (ID# 08)................................................................................................ 21 2.3.4 North Bastion, Curtain, and South Bastion (ID# 10)............................................... 22 2.3.5 Fort of the Point (ID# 11) ........................................................................................ 24 2.3.6 San Carlos Revelin and the Lightning Tower (ID# 13) ........................................... 25 2.3.7 La Trinidad (ID# 14) ................................................................................................ 28 2.3.8 El Abanico (ID# 16)................................................................................................. 29 2.3.9 Vaulted bunker and gun emplacement from St. Teresa (ID# 20) ........................... 30 iv 2.3.10 Casemate number three of the North Casemates (ID# 21).................................. 31 2.4 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 3: Spanish mortar technology...................................................................................... 34 3.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 34 3.2 General European Renaissance foundations .................................................................. 35 3.2.1 Vitruvius .................................................................................................................. 35 3.2.2 Leon Battista Alberti................................................................................................ 37 3.2.3 Andrea Palladio....................................................................................................... 40 3.2.4 Philibert Delorme .................................................................................................... 42 3.2.5 Sebastiano Serlio.................................................................................................... 42 3.3 Renaissance treatises from the Spanish speaking world................................................. 43 3.3.1 Diego de Sagredo ................................................................................................... 43 3.3.2 Lorenzo de San Nicolas.......................................................................................... 43 3.3.3 Other works............................................................................................................. 44 3.4 Eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries....................................................................... 44 3.4.1 Reprints of earlier works ......................................................................................... 45 3.4.2 Transition from the theoretical to the practical........................................................ 45 3.4.3 Spanish New World treatises.................................................................................. 45 3.5 Contemporary sources ..................................................................................................... 48 3.6 Synthesis of primary and secondary sources................................................................... 50 3.7 Interpretation of authors’ recommendations..................................................................... 53 3.8 Conclusion........................................................................................................................ 55 Chapter 4: Critical review of analytical techniques.................................................................. 57 4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 57 4.2 Analytical techniques........................................................................................................ 58 4.2.1 Analysis by wet chemical methods ......................................................................... 58 4.2.2 Optical microscopy / petrography ........................................................................... 60 v 4.2.3 X-ray Diffraction (XRD) ........................................................................................... 63 4.2.4 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS)................................................................................................ 65 4.2.5 Thermal Analysis .................................................................................................... 67 4.2.6 Infrared (FTIR) .......................................................................................................
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