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E RECUPERAÇÃO DE UM EDIFÍCIO
Todas as intervenções têm de ter em conta os seus efeitos na estrutura, e para se garantir a sua
resistência é fundamental não eliminar pilares do piso térreo ou frontais – há que ser selectivo e
retirar, quando necessário, apenas elementos sem função estrutural, como os tabiques (paredes
divisórias). É necessário encontrar um ponto de equilíbrio entre os aspectos relacionados com a
segurança e comodidade dos utentes (intrinsecamente ligados com a viabilidade económica da
reabilitação) e a preservação o mais fiel possível do original.
ANALYSIS OF THE POMBALINO CONSTRUCTIVE SYSTEM
AND RECUPERATION OF A BUILDING
The violent earthquake on the 1 st November 1755, followed by a massive fire, completely
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devastated the central area of Lisbon, being necessary taking emergency measures that unleashed the
process of the reconstruction of the capital.
Baixa Pombalina is a zone of the city with high patrimonial value, having in his origin the
reconstruction of great part of Lisbon in which were taken into account, for the first time in the history
of architecture and engineering, seismic concerns to the scale of the city, which turned, between others,
in the systemic use of the innovatory structure in “wooden cage” (gaiola de madeira) – a unique
landmark in the history of the national and international construction.
The present work refers to the understanding and analysis of the constructive system used in the
process of reconstruction, from techniques and materials used, to the reading of the buildings’ inner
space organization and to the study of the seismic behaviour of pombalina structure, and its value in
the context of Baixa’s candidature for World Heritage.
The whole plan was suiting the idea of the constructive standardisation. At an urbane scale, Baixa
was drawn of orthogonal and hierarchically distinctive streets and all the blocks would have the same
number of floors; at the building scale, also having the constructive standardisation idea, the inner
space organization and the fronts were based in a modular drawing. They were also included some
improvements of the urban infrastructures, namely in the drainage system and gathering of the
garbage, in the domiciliary supply of water and in the fire systems.
But what was really distinctive in this process of reconstruction was the introduction of the three-
dimensional wooden structure – the pombalina cage. The cage was introduced in an attempt of
erecting buildings with a better behaviour under seismic actions, trying to avoid future catastrophes.
The wooden trellises that made frontais (the structural walls of pombalinos buildings that form the
cage) are suitable for resisting vertical loads, but mainly the horizontal forces induced by earthquakes.
This three-dimensional structure significantly increases the rigidity and resistance of the building and
the cage, if properly connected to the stone walls, induces a common functioning enabling the building
to resist horizontal strength (like the seismic forces).
The original pombalinos buildings suffered many structural changes, specially at the beginning of
the 20th century and generally due to speculative pressures and changes of uses, in spite of the excellent
structural quality (and also architectural, though it doesn't constitute an innovatory aspect). Changes
as the increase of the number of floors (originally established as ground floor, three superior floors and
garrets), the removal of frontais breaking the three-dimensional structure of the cage, the cut of the
frontais’ diagonals or the cut of pillars in the ground level floor, weakened the structure and increased
the vulnerability of pombalinos buildings to the seismic actions, which highlighted the need of its
rehabilitation.
In such works of rehabilitation there must be the concern of maintain and if necessary rehabilitate
the cage system, of great cultural, historical and also structural value. In parallel, it is important to
manage economically such works in a sustainable manner. So, it’s necessary to match the inheritance
preservation with the current space, function and safety demands.
However, the starting point for any rehabilitation of these buildings must be the recuperation or
reinforcement of pombalina structure. The reconstruction of structural elements, such as the meeiras
walls (walls made in stone masonry that separate the buildings that form the blocks) or the frontais
(structural wooden walls), aims to restore or to improve the original structural behaviour of the
buildings, mainly under seismic forces (increasing the security levels for its users), and to preserve its
authenticity.
Rehabilitation works also should have to proceed to the identification of the structural changes
suffered by the buildings (the most common were already mentioned) and to use the traditional
materials (if possible, of better quality) or to change the damaged materials – attending, as much as
possible, to these principles: reversibility, minimum intrusion, compatibility, durability and efficiency.
In spite of the interest in a loyal preservation of the original constructions as possible, it may be
necessary, in particular situations, to use new materials or technologies – otherwise, it may be difficult
to take into account some aspects that can be essential to satisfy functional current needs (for example,
the inclusion of lifts, quite important in some adaptations because of aspects related to comfort and
accessibility of reduced mobility people).
These interventions must take into account its effects on the structure, and in order to guarantee its
resistance it is essential to not remove pillars of the ground floor or frontais – it’s crucial to be selective
and to remove, when necessary, only walls without structural function, like the tabiques (division walls).
It is necessary to find a balance point between the aspects connected with the security and comfort of
the user (intrinsically attached with the economical viability of the rehabilitation) and the preservation
as loyal as possible of the original.