Local Seismic Cultures: The Use of Timber Frame Structures in the South of Portugal

Ortega, Javier; Vasconcelos, Graça; Rodrigues, Hugo; Correia, Mariana

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/13654

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Abstract(s)

Local Seismic Cultures and traditional earthquake resistant constructions and techniques arise in seismic prone regions as a reaction to earthquakes. People continuously exposed to seismic hazard eventually had to learn how to protect themselves and developed preventive measures for earthquake mitigation. These construction efforts made by local populations gave rise to the development of what was defined by Ferrigni [1] as Local Seismic Culture. In Portugal, there is a particular well-known and widely studied type of timber frame construction that can be highlighted as the most representative example of Portuguese Seismic Culture: the Pombalino construction system [2,3]. This system was devised by the government and its use for the complex reconstruction process carried out in Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake was mandatory. It can be considered as the first technical regulation regarding seismic resistance. Furthermore, local communities adopted this constructive system as a model of earthquake resistant construction and its use widely spread around the country, eventually becoming endemic of the vernacular way of building of the country. Given the fact that using timber frame structures has proven to improve the seismic behavior of vernacular architecture, as has been reported in past earthquakes in many countries [4-7], its preservation as a traditional earthquake resistant practice is important. This paper firstly intends to evaluate whether the use of timber frames as a traditional seismic resistant technique for vernacular architecture in the South of Portugal, traditionally a seismic region, is still active. Secondly, the city of Vila Real de Santo António was selected as a case study because it also followed a Pombaline development contemporary to the reconstruction of Lisbon. The plan included the provision of timber frame partition walls for some of the buildings and, thus, an overview of the type of constructions originally conceived is provided. Finally, the alterations done in the original constructions and the current state of the city center are described and the effect of these changes on the seismic vulnerability of the city is discussed.

Keywords

Pombalino construction system Vila Real de Santo António Local Seismic Culture Seismic vulnerability Structural alterations

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http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/13654

Citation

Ortega, J., Vasconcelos, G., Rodrigues, H., Correia, M. (2016). Local Seismic Cultures: The Use of Timber Frame Structures in the South of Portugal. In: Cruz, H., Saporiti Machado, J., Campos Costa, A., Xavier Candeias, P., Ruggieri, N., Manuel Catarino, J. (eds) Historical Earthquake-Resistant Timber Framing in the Mediterranean Area. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39492-3_8