Earthquake-Resistant Multistorey Building In X-Lam

My name is Potito Pedone and I’m currently the technical director of the company Woodsystem International Ltd. based in Moncalieri (TO), company operating for over 35 years in the construction industry laminated wood devoting very beginning to the sector of sports, meeting places, shopping centers etc .. and this is my intention to make available the result of a personal research, started in 2009, for the construction of earthquake-resistant and environmentally friendly buildings in wood X-Lam.
The result achieved is of fundamental importance at this moment in the light of the tragic earthquake, still present in central Italy in recent days, and could be a solution applicable to the RISK PREVENTION PLAN SEISMIC inserted into laudable project „Italian House“ entrusted all’Arch.Renzo Plan, Senator for life, with a 10 million homes in the next 50-year program by applying practical solutions mainly based on advanced diagnostic and start-up of lightweight construction sites.
In 2009, following the disastrous earthquake that involved the city of ‚Aquila, I thought to capitalize on the experience gained over the last 20 years preceding the inherent structural system for the works of sports facilities (glulam structures of type reticular spatial).
It has been a long and demanding research work from every point of view with the aim of improving construction systems currently in use for the wooden buildings in order to achieve the main result that my original plan, namely „the protection of the lives human and of their property. “
To achieve the above goal, they started from the experience of dating from the year 2007 to the earthquake resistance test and called SOFIE PROJECT, made in Japan by IVALSA CNR under the supervision of Prof. Ario Ceccotti and funded by the Province of Trento ; obtaining a striking result that has proven the validity of the construction „wood“ in terms of protection of human lives. The final technical solution of my construction system, highly innovative, is able to give guarantees on the level of static strength in the face of strong earthquakes and other catastrophic events sadly known and therefore achieves both objectives stated above also allowing to obtain the practicability the immediate post-earthquake buildings.
In practice of the quoted SOFIE PROJECT planned to take advantage of the flexibility of the wood / steel connections, while my innovative solution takes advantage of the elasticity of the entire building in compliance with the seismic requirements in accordance with current legal requirements.
In light of recent seismic events in the regions of central Italy transmit this information because I believe may be of interest and to consider especially as regards the post-emergency phase in place, commendable in view of a safe and rapid reconstruction towns and villages devastated by the quake. It needs to point out that the structural materials used for construction are environmentally friendly type (95% wood) and the prefabricated building system is 100% in existing production facilities in Italy and around the world. It follows a structural assembly speed of the buildings corresponding to about 1 \ 4 of the time required for the construction of buildings with the traditional systems in reinforced concrete, brick and masonry. This aspect, in the case of post earthquake reconstruction, is the most important requirement for the citizens affected by such events. In addition, with an excellent internal and external insulation and the installation of photovoltaic panels, heat pumps and wind systems etc …, you can even reach the requirement of Passive House minimizing energy consumption costs and getting the maximum comfort living inside. Finally it must add that the wooden buildings cut down almost all of the electromagnetic fields.
All this in the face of rapid, reliable and competitive costs than the existing traditional building systems.
About the PLAN OF PREVENTION OF SEISMIC RISK PART OF THE PROJECT „CASA ITALIA“ LONG-TERM precisely that, considering the risks of natural modification of the subsoil (see the case of Emilia Romagna), with my system you may want to consider ( during the final design of the new buildings, public and private) whether to adopt the calculation parameters and the verification of the seismic risk 1, taking into account that the economic impact on construction costs increased by approximately + 5% and + 7% at most, of values of about € 1,500.00 / sqm. (Costs related to construction „turnkey“ including everything from indoor and outdoor coverings, general plant, roof and everything else needed to reduction of operational energy consumption with the exception of the works of reinforced concrete foundation, infrastructure works, costs of building plots, paperwork for permits etc ..)
In summary, creating wooden buildings with my innovative construction system, you get the following results in the presence of the earthquake:
1) – Protection of human lives and of their real estate
2) – Ready accessibility of the immediate post-earthquake buildings
3) – Reconstruction quickly with reliable and competitive costs.
4) – seismic risk prevention plan „economically sustainable“
5) – Structural Materials used environmentally friendly (95% wood), detachable and 100% recyclable
6) – Own weight of wood equal to 1/5 of its reinforced concrete weight then: lower transport costs and the works of reinforced concrete foundation.
7) – Charges for safety on site very limited view of the drastic reduction in installation time (equal to 1/4 of those relative to traditional systems in reinforced concrete and masonry).
8) – The construction system is prefabricated to 100%, producible in Italy and around the world
9) – The construction system is suitable for the construction of residential buildings, hospitals, schools, places of worship, barracks, public and private offices, commercial and industrial centers etc …. both type mono plan that multi floor and, of course , presents optimal and competitive also in the case of buildings in earthquake-prone areas of zero.
10) – In addition, with an excellent interior and exterior insulation and the installation of photovoltaic panels, heat pumps and wind systems etc …, you can reach the quality standard of „Passive House“ minimizing energy consumption costs and electromagnetic fields. You always get the maximum comfort.

Finally, I would like to point out that it is my intention to carry out a seismic test on a vibrating platform of a 4-storey building with dimensions of mt. 7×5.60 at the European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering „Eurocentre PAVIA“ consortium partners „S.E.R.I.E.S.“ (Seismic Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies) involving 23 European earthquake engineering laboratories.
To do so are looking for funding (for about 150.000,00 Euros) by all the companies involved and interested in such a test. I believe this latter aspect is essential especially in reference to earthquakes in central Italy given the need to find all ready for the reconstruction phase in time savings compared to when the same will be operational.
Obviously I remain available for those who request it, to send a technical documentation illustrating the system of my own, complete with a demonstration movie of the constructive and structural mounting system.
I repeat to be the inventor of the innovative construction system in question, and that it is my intention to make it available for social purposes for all people involved in the recent earthquake, and for the „Italian House“. Thank you in advance for the attention that will be given to this and my communication with this opportunity, I extend my best regards.
Potito Pedone