Studiofornalè handled the structural design for the consolidation of this 15th-century beam located inside a residential building and supporting a residential floor.
The beam, measuring 18×56 cm in cross-section, is composed of 3 trapezoidal wooden beams that work together through notches and metal wedges.
It is interesting to note that based on these early experiences with composite beams, the use of wood for long spans was progressively refined (see Leonardo in the 16th century, del Rosso in the 18th century) until the birth of modern glued laminated timber (1905 with the Hetzer patent).
The beam, 8.7 m long, was fractured at a knot on the intrados near a wedge, and this imperfection was likely the cause of the crack and the resulting flexural deformation of the beam, which reaches 15 cm (L/58).
The planned intervention consists of installing a metal counterbracing system in which the vertical part is used as a jack that, after tensioning the bar system, rotates on the axis of the vertical hubs to “lift” the beam and close the crack.
All metal components were manufactured from high-strength steel; the forks and locknuts were machined on a CNC work center while the plates were plasma-cut.
Assignment: Executive design of timber structures, Construction supervision
