Sarooj is a traditional water-resistant mortar used in

Iranian architecture Iranian architecture or Persian architecture (, ''Me'māri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC with characteristic examples distr ...

, used in the construction of bridges and yakhchāl, ancient Persian ice houses.The Earth Refrigerators as Earth Architecture
at IJESD.org It is made of

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

and

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

mixed in a six-to-four ratio to make a stiff mix, and kneaded for three days. A portion of furnace slags from baths is combined with cattail (''

Typha ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrushStreeter D, Hart-Davies C, Hardcastle A, Cole F, Harper L. 2009. ' ...

'') fibers, egg, and straw, and fixed, then beaten with a wooden stick for even mixing.

Egg white Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens, it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms a ...

s can be used as a water reducer as needed. Its origin (in Persian: Saru) is lime, i.e. limestone mixed with arsenic.

History

Mosaddad ''et al.'' report the use of a mixture consisting of lime,

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

and ash in the construction of an 1800 year-old Sasanian bridge-dam on the Karoon river south of Shooshtar. The Sheikh's

biogas Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste, Wastewater treatment, wastewater, and food waste. Biogas is produced by anaerobic ...

bath-house in Isphahan featured a water-impermeable sarooj composed of lime, egg white, and

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

dust. Another alternative formulation used for yakhchāl and water tanks in Iran uses "sand, clay, egg whites, lime,

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

hair, and ash in specific proportions." All of these examples utilize pozzolanic properties and/or incorporate biopolymerization to increase the durability and impermeability of the plaster.Old Materials and Techniques to Improve the Durability of Earth Buildings
/ref> Soak the soil for at least two weeks with water. The water should be free of impurities and suitable for drinking.

References

{{reflist Concrete Plastering Building materials Architecture in Iran Moisture protection Iranian architectural elements

History

See also

References