Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, New Delhi 2006 P.B. Lourenço, P. Roca, C. Modena, S. Agrawal (Eds.) Italian Standardisation Activity in the Field of Diagnosis and Restoration of Ancient Timber Structures Nicola Macchioni CNR – IVALSA, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy Maurizio Piazza Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy ABSTRACT: The standardisation activity in the field of cultural heritage started in Italy in 1996, following an agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Italian Standardisation body (UNI) through the constitution of the Technical Committee UNI / NORMAL (Cultural Heritage). The activities of the WG 20 (Wood and wooden materials) began in 1999 and gave the rise to the standardisation actions on wooden artefacts belonging to the cultural heritage. Even if timber structures are only a part in the huge world of wooden objects coming from the past, nevertheless the importance of many structures, the safety needs of many public historic buildings and many bad restoration examples forced the WG 20 to start working on different standard projects on the ancient timber structures. The first two standards published embrace the problems of the diagnosis through visual on-site inspections and of the intervention criteria on ancient timber structures to be restored. The aim of the paper is the description of the two mentioned standards. 1 FOREWORD On June 1996 an agreement was signed by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and U.N.I (Italian standardisation body). The aim of the agreement was to activate a collaboration which would help in developing common technical standards valid on a national level and suitable for proposal on a European level. The agreement consequently gave birth to the UNI - NORMAL Technical Committee whose activity is unique in the world in developing specific standards in the conservation of artefacts which constitute the cultural patrimony of every country. Presently, are active the Work Groups listed in table 1. Table 1 : lists of WGs within the UNI – Normal TC. WG 1 Biological methodologies WG 10 Methodologies for documentation WG 2 Experimentation in the control of biodeterogens WG 11 Methodologies for the characterisation and restoration of historical mortars WG 3 Chemical methodologies WG 12 Metallic materials WG 4 Atmospheric pollution WG 13 Methodologies for petrography WG 5 Methodologies in conservation of surfaces WG 14 Non destructive and mechanical tests WG 6 Methodologies for the characterisation of ceramics and WGasses WG 15 Structures WG 7 Laboratory physical methodologies WG 19 Humidity in walls: methodologies for the evaluation WG 8 Environmental physics WG 20 Wood and wood based materials WG 9 Methodologies for the survey WG 21 Paper WG 22 Museum technologies WG 23 Mixed group