Il travertino nella costruzione muraria ad Alcamo

Abstract

This study describes construction features typical of masonry buildings in the historic centre of Alcamo, Sicily. This local context is significant for the extent of the historic building stock and for the large use of travertine as traditional masonry material. The local availability of this rock is a peculiarity of Alcamo, in comparison with the rest of Sicily, and its use explains the originality of several construction details. The analysis exposed in this study is part of a wider research, aimed at developing a Sicilian database of mechanical and hygrothermal data for masonry tipologies. The historic tonewalls of Alcamo have been described by means of four masonry categories, whose main construction features are discussed. Furthermore, the results of laboratory tests of compressive strength and thermal conductivity, carried out on travertine samples, are reported. Finally, a focus on the structure of balconies, and the solutions related to the use of travertine, is described. The outcomes of this study are preliminary and will be extended to a more detailed thermal and hygrometric analysis of travertine and its stonewalls in Alcamo.