WOOD REINFORCED MASONRY IN POOR CONSTRUCTION TRADITIONS

Examples of mixed structural solutions, in which masonry is reinforced by the insertion of wooden elements, are common in the building tradition, with special reference to seismic areas. In this work, attention is focused on some particular case studies referring to the particular condition of vernacular architecture, where material availability and construction possibilities are limited. This specific issue is discussed through the study of some meaningful cases, belonging to Greek mountain regions, with the purpose of presenting a range of solutions resulting from the optimization of the available resources. Specifically, the selected investigation area is the Athens-Lamia region in Greece characterized by high seismicity, by a poor form of economy related to transhumance, and by limited resources, which means, with reference to building materials, large availability of limestone but not enough of construction wood. Preliminarily, the work discusses the contribution to resistance offered by the presence of wood elements in masonry walls through an extensive description and critical review of some cases which have been documented during the survey of the investigated areas. Next, on the basis of literature information, it is possible to try an estimation of the resistance level in masonry walls due to the presence of suitably calibrated wood elements. Considering that any analytical evaluation of resistance is problematic in this situation, the paper has, as a main objective, the purpose of qualifying a non-engineered construction typology through a qualitative description and simplified resistance considerations.