Abstract
In the present paper, an integrated intervention system applicable to concrete-framed buildings is presented. The purpose of the intervention is to improve both the seismic and the energetic behaviour of such buildings using cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. Two alternative intervention configurations with different levels of invasiveness are described. Considering a double-wythe masonry-infilled frame, the most invasive configuration consists in the replacement of the external masonry wythe with the CLT panel, while the least invasive configuration consists in the arrangement of the CLT panel from the outside without removing the wythes. The technical details and implementation procedures were studied, considering functionality and disturbance to occupants. An isolated one-storey-one-bay frame was used as a reference for the seismic and thermal analyses. Subsequently, the two intervention configurations were applied to a case-study building by identifying two alternative intervention strategies. The obtained results showed that the proposed integrated intervention approach can significantly reduce both the seismic vulnerability and the energy consumption of concrete buildings.
Highlights
In the most wythe masonry infill was assumed for the as-built configuration (Figure 1a), as it was invasive configuration, named reinforced concrete (RC)–TP, the cross-laminated timber (CLT) panel considered representative of most of the existing RC framed buildings
For the M-I and L-I interventions, the RC–TP (M-I) and the RC–TPext (L-I) retrofits were applied extensively, from the bottom of the façades to the top. These solutions were implemented in every frame vulnerable to the design seismic action, even though, due to geometric constraints, not all the frame bays saw the application of the timber panel
Two intervention strategies characterized by different levels of invasiveness were developed for RC frames with double-wythe masonry infills
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. These phenomena depend on various factors [8,9,10] such as the properties of the materials, the geometry of elements, or the infills distribution both in elevation and in plan In this scenario, the interest in developing new solutions to improve both the seismic and energetic behaviours of existing buildings is expanding among the scientific community [11,12,13,14,15,16]. In the most invasive configuration instead, the CLT panel is placed inside the structural frame, after removing one or both wythes of the existing masonry infill. In order to investigate the energy performance improvements obtained from the retrofit intervention at a wider level, the two systems were applied to a five-storey case-study building
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