Structural Upgrading and Architectural Conservation of a Historic Timber and Masonry Venetian Sawmill

This work presents an extensive static and seismic retrofitting intervention performed on a relevant historic case-study building, the Venetian sawmill of Vallaro (Brescia, Italy). This heritage construction from the end of the 19th century features three building portions, two realized in timber and one consisting of a masonry structure with timber floors and roofs. The building has been neglected for decades and was in a poor state of conservation, despite representing a valuable example of the typical historic architectures of the mountainy area in the Province of Brescia. With the support of the local municipality, a complete restoration of the sawmill has started, with the objective of transforming it into a territorial museum. To this end, a series of reversible and compatible interventions were planned in consultation with the local superintendence for architectural heritage. Integrated timber- and steel-based retrofitting systems were designed, aimed at preserving the historic value of the sawmill, especially in its original timber components, such as trusses, braced columns, and diaphragms. The present case study enables to showcase the advantages of the applied reversible integrated strengthening methods in such a complex architectural restoration and the importance of tailored structural detailing, combining the improvement in static and seismic performance with the protection and preservation of ancient members. This work can contribute to the promotion of timber-based techniques in the integrated structural, seismic, and conservation upgrading of existing buildings belonging to the architectural heritage of seismic-prone countries.