MC2

The spread of central European modernism to

earthquake prone areas of the continent and

challenges for the preservation of reinforced

concrete heritage buildings

Maria Bostenaru, MCF

Rui Pinho

ROSE School / IUSS di Pavia, ITALY

CA‘REDIVIVUS projectMC2 “Putting the Knowledge Society into Practice

Overview

Introduction

Overview of the project

Load bearing structure – architectural space

Collaborative issues

Discussion

Further directions

Conclusions


Introduction

The CA’REDIVIVUS project, an interdisciplinary endeavourencompassing concrete technology, building design and urbansociology

ways to reduce earthquake vulnerability of multiple housingconstruction with reinforced concrete structure of the ModernMovement, with their physical, social and culturalcharacteristics across Europe.

high vulnerability due to their high degree of occupation and lowcapacity.

New views: historical pre-code reinforced concrete buildings - technical solutions

required: retrofit measures optimisation

historical condominium housing - management solutions come inquestion. regard. Societal issues concern the comprehensibility of thereason for the measures, in order to get user support for the retrofitstrategy implementation, important in case of condominium buildings.


Project management

objectives

(measures package)

objective

(measure)

scientific method

instruments

step

goal


Step Goal Method Instrument Measure

1 technical reports on implementation

programmes

documentation investigation

training.

4; 8

2 a data table of use for the decision

method in the next step

parametrical study FEM 2

3 support the choices at step 4 and step

1

highlighting

comprehensibility

database 7

4 algorithm based on case studies (step

2) for experiments (step 6)

modularisation of the

decision model

pair wise

comparison

3

5 report about available systems for this

purpose

a basis system to

administrate modules

computer tools 6

6 trial of educational feasibility (step 3) project example exercise 5

7 dissemination of results presentation publications 1

Nr. Measures package Method Interest groups

1 improving understanding of the

impact of earthquakes

- public presentation

- reaction to feedback on findings Multidisciplinary

2 development of an algorithm for

optimisation of retrofit measures

parametrical study -

3 development of a decentralised

decision model

modularisation of a collaborative

decision model

Interdisciplinary

4 insights into applicability of

retrofit methods

documentation

training

Interdisciplinary

architecture

engineering

5 development of a framework for

integral planning

retrofit design model project for the

integral planning

Interdisciplinary

architecture

engineering

economics

6 solving contradictions between

the objectives of single actors

develop a basis system to administrate

modules on different levels

Multidisciplinary

7 highlighting the comprehend-

sibility of the measures analysed

physical implementation flow along

with an education flow for population

which has to support the measures

architecture

urbanism

sociology

8 support changes by political and

economic environment:

document existing programmes

impact assessment

-


Architectural contents


Timber frame load-bearing

structures

Portugal

Pombalino-buildings

1755 – Lisbon

earthquake

Region of the Alps

Fachwerk

(half-timbered)

1356 – Basel

earthquake


Iran

2003 – Bam earthquake

(Photo Hashemi et al)

Residential buildings with iron

or steel skeletonGermany

1978 – Albstadt earthquake


Reinforced concrete frame

housing

Romania

1940 and 1977 –

Vrancea earthquakes

Greece

1978 Thessaloniki

1999 Athens

earthquakes

infill clay brick

frame (skeleton) RC

roof RC

floors RC


Data organisation in the

WHE

Structural element Building materials

Structural element Seismic deficiencyEarthquake resilient

features

Earthquake

damage patterns

Seismic deficiency Seismic strengthening provision

Characteristic

strength

Mix proportion/

dimensions


Romania


Greece


Italy


Portugal


Reinforced concrete

The history, acceptance and technology ofreinforced concrete had impact on the way ofconstruction, the form and the surface treatment.

The time when reinforced concrete started to beemployed for housing construction coincided with aunique and very short time (10-20 years) in thehistory of arts. Several different architectural stylesco-existed with newest developments in music, arts,physics, philosophy, economic and social theoryand industrialisation. The last proved to be decisive:Not the aesthetics, but a solution to the problems ofthe society, mainly the lack of adequate, manytimes of affordable, but sometimes of one suitingthe life style, housing governed the way how thebuildings of the Modern Movement were raised.Employing advanced construction technology of theinnovation in the functional elaboration, the oneresponsible as before for efficiency and response tolife style exigencies, is further followed, but thematerial per se also investigated and explicitelyaddressed.


Reinforced concrete

The investigation of contemporary innovation in theuse of reinforce concrete was completed regardingthe work of architecture office Kramm+Strigl, inDarmstadt, Germany,

Potential for learning lessons for the project, for thereason that it gives to housing constructionqualities which raise it above common buildings, aquality shared with buildings of the ModernMovement.

Innovation

- texture-modenature, for the role of concrete in thestructure or a shelf-approach in construction,

- treatment of existing built substance. The reuse ofold concrete through such a recycling procedure(Bürgerparkviertel) allows for keeping the originalmaterial for some of its testimony in composition,while allowing for redesign in matters like that ofreinforcement. This can apply for both a radicalsolution as demolition and rebuild of the wholeconstruction, as well as for local interventions.


Lessons from timber

The interdependencies between the spatial structures in sacral buildings (churches) and the spatial, 3D frame multi-storey structures were investigated.

Lessons learned from seismic behaviour of traditional, as compared to modern, structures are re-evaluated in the light of a new understanding of the influence of the urban way of life.

For multi-storey constructions in an urban environment, an engineering type was adopted, with roots in ship construction, directly or indirectly, over the metaphor of the nave. Timber frame buildings, with excellent seismic behaviour, highly

developed in regions with ship building traditions, while in seismic prone regions, if that factor was missing, the structural characteristics of wood wasn’t used to a full.

Stone churches adopted the metaphor of the nave, at the level of spatial organisation, and the form of these naves influenced the employment of the artificial stone called reinforced concrete in multi-storey constructions in the past century.


Management strategy

The project CA’REDIVIVUS aims to show ways on how to reduce earthquake vulnerability of housing buildings with reinforced concrete structure of the Modern Movement, with their physical, social and cultural characteristics. Both technical and management solutions are required, the latter addressing the subject of refurbishment without interfering with function. A collaborative decision model, with modules customised for each actor involved in the retrofit measure, builds a central element of the project objectives, such as the development of an integral planning (multidisciplinary aspects considered from incipient project phases) framework and the inclusion of an educational flow for the inhabitants who have to support the measures. The analysis of the theoretical scaffold for participative planning and the lessons for building research learned from such a project, in which the author was involved from user side are hereby considered.


Participatism


Case study HaDiKo


Retrofit strategy


Urban level

Number Legend

Volume height accents 47 (incl. 12 with aesthetic

qualities; 1 negative)

bordeaux-

red-orange

volume silhouette accents 4 blue

functional landmarks 1 triangles

aesthetic qualities 9+12 blue strips

negative value 4+1 black strips

Mapping of the hierarchy of the elements and of the façade (fronts

typology: continuous line = continuously built front, interrupted and

continuous line = front full with alveolar injections, interrupted line = front broken by isolated buildings and vegetation, point line =

unstructured front; hierarchy of perception points: dark green =

intersection place, turquoise = reverence place, magenta = private/half-private space, grey lines = public space with half-private character, light

green = public environmental space, dark magenta = public space).


contents / container

Morphologically, there are two elements of a system:

the container, the load-bearing scaffold, which forms the frame for a totality of spaces, related in functional-spatial co-operation into the spatial structure. This constitutes a physical level.

the content, the lived architectural space, a totality of localised activities, related into the functional structure. This is a phenomenological level.


urban-building level interaction

ZONE B

ZONE AZONE C

BUILDING Y

BUILDING XBUILDING Z

ELEMENT α

ELEMENT β

ELEMENT γ

ma

rketin

gm

an

agem

en

tp

artic

ipatio

n

con

sist

sof


sincerity - unsincerity

Sincerity = elements being what they seem to

Sincerity in architecture: Load-bearing structure

Architectural arrangement of the internal space and envelope

Ornamentation

Historical styles – completely different attitudes towards sincerity

Sincerity in the Modern Avantgarde Expressions of function, materials and technology

Exterior expression of spatial structures

Modern Avantgarde buildings Mono-functional (spectacle or exhibition): sincerity in exterior expression

Poly-functional (various functions on superposed floors): not

Analysis Semper

Le Corbusier

Dutch pavilion at the EXPO2000 in Hannover


Decision system


Discussion

Impact

natural hazards on urban texture

perception and participative issues

contents and container

Multidisciplinary aspects and actors

Stylistic movements at the begin of the century

Procesual systemic analysis – role of materials

in historic stratification

European dimension


Further directions

Technical strategy

selective retrofit

nonlinear computer analysis

Morphologic (systemic) analysis

The role of the grid for object oriented urban-

building level interaction

Future projects

Investigation of resilience


Conclusions

Systemic analysis

Morphology: load bearing structure – architectural

space

Functionality: architectural programme and

management strategy

Processuality: material and historic stratification

Documentation of examples of best practice

and lessons learned as common method

Preservation requirements relevant for all

For intensive sustainable urban development

Thank you!

The project described in this paper is funded under the Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships research

mobility scheme of the European Commission, contract nr. MEIF-CT-2005-009765 with a 2 years individual

fellowship in 2005-2007.

Education

MC2