Earthquake-proof building restoration in the historical centre of Cortemaggiore (Piacenza)
Architectural restoration located in the historic centre is a subject of great design interest and each intervention can be said to be a “lesson” in itself. ISOTEX contributed to the recovery of a residential building, included in the well-preserved urban structure of Cortemaggiore, a Renaissance village in the Province of Piacenza.
The state of conservation of the terraced house, remodelled over the years with non-qualitative interventions and in precarious static conditions, convinced the designers to opt for a radical resolution: the demolition of the existing one and then the reconstruction on the same area according to the new project while respecting the current building and anti-seismic regulations (the Municipality of Cortemaggiore is classified as zone 3, therefore a highly seismic zone). The house is developed over two levels, with the living area on the ground floor and the night area on the top floor. In terms of construction, the building has reinforced concrete foundations, lamellar wood roofing and floors and a structural wall type in lightly armoured concrete, with reference to the evaluation of seismic action and material resistance checks. In particular, for the construction of the reinforced masonry, Isotex mineralised wood cement formwork blocks (ANAB bioecological certification) were used, reinforced with horizontal and vertical B450C steel bars and cast concrete with resistance class C 25/30 (Rck 300 kg/cm2). The 14 cm graphite insulating layer, placed continuously inside the block between the two wood cement parts, ensures that no thermal bridges are formed and guarantees optimal thermal transmittance and sound absorption values. The result is as follows: high levels of thermal and sound insulation. Additionally, the design includes reinforcement of the walls enhanced at the doors and windows, to strengthen the structure in the most vulnerable points with respect to the static loads and the dynamic action produced by the earthquake.
