Clay, silt, and sand combined with water to form a plastic material which when dried forms a hard construction material. Also at times used interchangeably with the term Caliche.

Formed in various types of molds. Historically, wooden hand forms were used. The adobe is mixed and pressed into the forms. The forms are removed and the bricks are left to dry in the sun. Kiln fired [..]

Actions which negatively impact the preservation and stability of a site. These include wind, precipitation, water runoff, roots, insects and rodents, capillary action (rising moisture), vibrations, p [..]

Dumping soil into excavated holes or covering exposed features with soil. This can be done to protect features or to level ground for construction of a road or building.

Deterioration of the base or lowest portion of a wall

Under ground deposit of Calcium Carbonate. The deposit is formed primarily in the arid desert areas as moisture precipitates down through the ground soil. As the moisture evaporates the calcium carbon [..]

Moisture is pulled from the wet soil below grade up into the dry exposed wall surfaces. See Rising Damp below.

The pressure or stress exerted against a wall. This usually occurs when a wall is subject to differential fill (see definition below). The stress can cause a wall to lean, slump, or collapse.

This refers to the level of soil, stone and other material on both sides of a wall. An example of this would be an excavated room where the interior of the room has the fill removed but the exterior s [..]