19th century carpentry in Germany

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Stefan M. Holzer
• Subject Area: Architecture, Building and Construction History, Construction Research, Sustainable Building Technology ; Structural Engineering, Building Informatics and Construction Operation
• Term: from 2010 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 163311208

The present study addresses the following topics: 1) Construction history of carpentry structures in the 19th century 2) Practical aspects of monument conservation 3) Structural analysis of historic timber structuresad 1) The historic development of timber construction in the 19th century has almost not received any attention until now, particularly with reference to existing structures. Therefore, it is extremely desirable to have at least a representative sample of still-existant structures as a basis for the study of the topic. In the first phase of the present project, around 40 structures have been measured, analyzed and documented; this considerable number of objects ist just about sufficient for obtaining a first impression of the development in the 19th century, owing to the variability of building types concerned and construction types employed. It turns out that the preserved structures are only partially conforming to structures presented in the contemporary textbooks and treatises. Until now, the role of the technical literature and the means of knowledge transfer are still unclear, notwithstanding extensive research in the printed and archival material.ad 2) Conservation agencies typically feel very ill at ease when it comes to assess the historic value of 19th century timber structures. The present research project aims at providing a catalogue of criteria which will enable a well-founded assessment of preserved structure with respect to aspects such as innovativeness of the structure, quality of workmanship, uniqueness of the constructive solution.ad 3) Practical structural assessment of 19th century timber structures is complicated due to the mexing of traditional aspects (truss layout, joints) and "modern engineering" solutions (truss design, joints). Therefore, the load bearing mechanisms are not always straightforward. The load bearing mechanisms will be studied for selected examples, and verification based on detail observations at the real structures will be attempted.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants