VERBI VEnice Research BIbliography

This research has allowed to find some information about the behaviour of the wooden foundations in Venice: this could be considered the starting point for a scientific knowledge on wood conditions and characteristics under Venetian buildings.
The complex system composed of wood, water and soil forms the wooden foundations structure. The chemical, physical and biological conditions in which the wood exists are not such as to determine the quick deterioration of wood, because the environment is not favourable for the biodeterioration agents (like insects, fungi, sea organisms). Nevertheless, after few centuries, wood subjected to constant imbibition and almost anoxia conditions could be deteriorated by anaerobic bacteria. So, the fallacy that wood under water is strongly resistant hides the lack of a scientific knowledge of the state of conservation of foundations, underlining the necessity of in-depth and accurate surveys.
The research has underlined the presence of degradation, considering also the different buildings and the different wood species.
Larch, pine, oak and alder have been detected; their biodeterioration is due to erosion bacteria. It has been possible to find the correlation between parameters which describe the entire system (wood, water and soil): this is fundamental to reckon the stability of Venetian buildings. In particular, soils are characterized by basic pH values and negative redox potential that indicate reducing conditions.
This study has recognized some meaningful parameters (as Basal Density, Maximum Water Content, organic extractives, lignin content, holocellulose amount, ashes content, pH, redox potential, organic content, carbonartic content) which could be useful for determining the material stability.