Restoration of historical timber structures – Criteria, innovative solutions and case studies

The topic of the restoration of historical timber structures is actually very important and it is still susceptible to possible improvements and enhancements, especially considering the numerous mistakes that were made in the past years as a result of a certain superficiality and also of the enthusiasm created by the advancement of knowledge in the field of chemicals products such as epoxy resins or resin shotcretes. From an initial experimentalism, not properly governed by appropriate standards, specific rules have been created together with the definition of new concepts concerning wood restoration, especially with regard to the fields of reversibility and compatibility of materials. The designers, both as regards to the timber floors and roofs, now have several possibilities of intervention such as substitution, restoration, collaboration between existing structures, but specific rules and criteria are needed with the aim of satisfying modern structural safety requirements and conservative restoration principles.