Timber Structure Repair of an Emblematic Catalan Industrial Building with Wood Grafts and Epoxy Resins

Abstract

The development of epoxy resins has provided new methods of reparation of timber structural elements. This material is moldable and applicable in situ, can be used in the majority of wood species and for its fluency can be introduced for any hollow, fissure or pore, joining the healthy material provided with the structural element existent [. These methods allow to recover the load capacity of deteriorated timber structures with sufficient security, working jointly the resin and timber [. The most used reinforcements are metallic elements and fibreglass with epoxy resins. The reinforcements of timber elements, which employ timber as resistant material, are less usual [, but these have been employed for repairing the damaged timber elements of the building case of study, called Cal Trepat in Tàrrega (Spain). The repairing technique employed in the structural elements was through wood graftings and epoxy resins, in which were improved the load capacity of the timber structures repaired, with a very low visual impact, showing that is a good solution and promoting this reparation between architects and engineers.