The Seismic Performance of Bahareque Dwellings in El Salvador

Throughout the history of El Salvador, construction practices have been influenced by earthquakes happening in that region. One of the most successful attempts, developed by the Salvadorian indigenous population, was bahareque. In fact, a primitive type of bahareque was already used in El Salvador before the Spanish invasion. This first bahareque consisted of small tree branches bonded with clay, where wooden frames covered by palm fronds constituted the roof. This type of construction possesses structural unity as well as great elasticity and is seismically resistant to a remarkable degree. However, some foreigner features, added during the colonial period, reduced its seismic performance. Since bahareque is an ancient and traditional technique which has been developed and improved during generations, it must be considered as a cultural patrimony of El Salvador; therefore, it must be preserved and its seismic performance enhanced to offer a cheap, secure and native housing solution to the people with the most need.