The conservation of trabocchi as safeguard of the coastal building constructive sustainability

On the Abruzzo Adriatic coast, there are some wood constructions, which are typical products of the “material” culture of the territory. In last years, the Abruzzo Region promoted some initiatives aiming at trabocchi conservation and enhancement, with not significant results because of many difficulties (specific constructive knowledge loss, the original wood species shortage). This study refers to a recent Chieti Province initiative strictly addressed to those structures maintenance. Our research group organised a system for the trabocchi knowledge aiming at the configuration of a maintenance programme. The work starts with a census concerning a first survey for the understanding of the constructive methods, the structural behaviour and the assessment on the wood and connections elements conservation state. A direct experimentation on one specific trabocco is reported to fix the original practices memory and to test the hypothesis of planned maintenance interventions. The final objective is to preserve, together with the trabocco, an example of sustainable planning for the coastal area; the local resources use, the material culture practices as well as the optimal relationship between the pile-dwelling structure and the sea dynamic stresses are fundamental aspects for the seaside equipments proper design.