Quantitative Evaluation Method for the Structural Safety Status of Traditional Courtyard-Style Timber Buildings

ABSTRACT

Traditional courtyard-style timber building is a type of typical architectural timber heritage with special structures, which is different from traditional timber building unit. This paper proposes a scientific and effective assessment method for the structural safety status of traditional courtyard-style timber buildings. Firstly, based on the Improved Analytic Hierarchy Process (IAHP) which introduces the calculation method of component importance, the quantitative weights of components in traditional courtyard-style timber buildings are obtained. Secondly, the structural safety status evaluation system, the evaluation indexes and the evaluation weights are established based on the consideration of the structural characteristics of courtyard-style timber buildings. Finally, through on-site investigation and structural analysis, the structural safety status of a typical traditional courtyard-style timber-frame building — the Chu Hsi’s Public Granary, is studied to provide a basis for the subsequent conservation of the building. In addition, a quantitative automated security assessment software for courtyard-style timber buildings is developed. The study results can provide a reference for the safety assessment and preventive conservation of traditional courtyard-style timber building.

KEYWORDS:

• Courtyard-style
• Killing Element Method
• Quantitative Evaluation
• Structural Safety Status
• Traditional Timber Buildings

Acknowledgments

This paper is written with support by Jiangsu Provincial Key Research and Development Program (BE2022833), Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Research Programs (2021SK16), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2242022K40011), the Research and development project of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Grant No.CSCEC-2021-Z-36)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [2242022K40011]; Jiangsu Provincial Key Research and Development Program [BE2022833]; Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Research Programs [2021SK16]; Research and development project of China State Construction Engineering Corporation [CSCEC-2021-Z-36].