Contribution to the identification process of wood used in historic buildings: Application in the “Casarão da Rua Sete de Setembro” in Cuiabá, MT

Resumen

The preservation of buildings, which make up the Brazilian historical heritage, has historical and cultural importance. Wood, one of the most common building materials in these buildings, is subject to deterioration. Thus, the correct identification of the woods, through macroscopic and microscopic analyses, contributes both to the conservation of the pieces in use and also to an adequate replacement, if necessary. Thus, this study aimed to identify and describe anatomically the wood used in the construction of the historic building known as the “Casarão da Rua Sete de Setembro”, located in the Historic Center of Cuiabá, MT. Three wood samples were collected from the building's frames and the following characteristics were evaluated: degree of deterioration, organoleptic characteristics, basic density and macro and microscopic anatomical analyses. The evaluated samples had an advanced degree of deterioration. Despite this, it was possible to identify and describe the anatomical characteristics of the evaluated woods, all identified as Handroanthus sp., of the Bignoniaceae family, known locally as ipê. Furthermore, the study contributes to the formation of a database of timber species used during the Brazilian colonial period, in Cuiabá, MT.

Keywords: Handroanthus. Deterioration. Wood anatomy. IPHAN. Historic buildings.