Construction Systems

Abstract

Understanding the character of a construction system is the base of any pre-evaluation process to support correct, sustainable rehabilitation decisions. For the uniqueness of a building lies partly in the preservation of its construction system, this testifies to the history or culture of a region with its environmental approaches. This chapter presents an overview of important influences as through treatises and a sample of traditional construction systems including other engineered solutions from the eighteenth century. The evolution of system characteristics and the systems’ relationships with seismic regions or routes of dissemination is discussed, with archaeological and published examples. The wall-to-wall connections of antique systems are also emphasised to interpret the links between different traditional construction systems appearing all over the world, for the improvement of box behaviour. The debate around the definition of construction systems and their division in categories is also included to emphasise the particular understanding of the vernacular architecture.