29.04.2013 Views

La pedra en sec. Materials, eines i tècniques tradicionals a les illes ...

La pedra en sec. Materials, eines i tècniques tradicionals a les illes ...

La pedra en sec. Materials, eines i tècniques tradicionals a les illes ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

*** ** 6<br />

* DRYSTONE MASONRY STRUCTURES<br />

***<br />

large estates in the steepest part of<br />

the "Serra de Tramuntana" had by<br />

th<strong>en</strong> begun.<br />

In construction terms this terrace<br />

walls have a number of basic features<br />

(seating, box, crown, bond, rubble,<br />

slope) and others which although they<br />

have a specific purpose are not<br />

ess<strong>en</strong>tial to their construction. Some<br />

of these compon<strong>en</strong>ts lead to better<br />

seating (roof), others make the wall<br />

more solid (<strong>sec</strong>ondary facing,<br />

column), others make access easier<br />

(stone stairs), while others are small<br />

variations designed to make farming<br />

easier (hoops).<br />

In most cases the way of constructing<br />

and laying out a terraced field<br />

was not random but rather the result<br />

of knowledge of the physical characteristics<br />

of a place (slope, rock type,<br />

water network, etc.) and human factors<br />

(plot boundaries, crop needs,<br />

technical and investm<strong>en</strong>t capabilities<br />

and building tradition). It should also<br />

be remembered that they have drainage<br />

systems and tracks connected to<br />

them which to a great ext<strong>en</strong>t determine<br />

their structure.<br />

In the rocky and very karst areas,<br />

terrace walls were usually built taking<br />

into account rocky obstac<strong>les</strong>, either<br />

including them or avoiding them. The<br />

biggest land improvem<strong>en</strong>t schemes<br />

were to be found in irrigated and dry<br />

farming areas where the decision was<br />

made to invest a lot of money.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!