J.CAC VOLUME 48 (2024)
L’étude des mortiers pour une meilleure compréhension de nos savoir-faire : l’exemple de l’Hôpital général de Québec
Used in architecture for millennia, mortars and renders represent an important source of scientific information (historical, technological, geological and territorial) that can play a major role in understanding our construction practices and their evolution. Intimately regional, the composition of mortars and renders evolve according to the availability of materials and technological advancement. The study of mortars at the monastery of the Hôpital général de Québec helped deepen our understanding of traditional practices and techniques in the use of mortars in Québec, Québec City in particular, since the 17th century. Pierre noire du Cap (Cape blackstone), traditionally used for masonry, is at the heart of our study, having been shown to be the origin of the hydraulic lime used in mortars within the region for centuries. The present study is a step towards a better understanding of our historic construction materials and their durability from a documentation and dating perspective, but also for the purposes of restoration.
Download: JCAC48 Cloutier & Paradis