The Seismic Coat: A Sustainable and Integrated Approach to the Retrofit of Existing Buildings

Grazia Lombardo

doi:10.3390/su13116466

Abstract

Within the EU’s environmental policy, redevelopment strategies must be designed by adopting an integrated approach. This approach considers energy savings in buildings and seismic safety as driving forces of economic growth. The recent technological evolution experienced by the construction sector has aimed to define a new building element, the seismic coat. This term refers to a structural “skin” that improves both the seismic safety and the energy efficiency of existing buildings according to standards identified by current regulations. With this regard, research was started with the aim of defining a sustainable seismic coat consisting of dry-assembled panels of natural stone blocks that are prestressed with the use of steel reinforcements. The experimentation carried out on the panel so far has shown significant results as the test building improved in terms of energy savings, seismic safety, sustainability, functionality, and aesthetic quality. By taking a case study of a 1960s building as reference, this paper highlights the findings obtained by the feasibility study of the panel, with a special focus on its technical and construction aspects, and to facilitate its manufacture with the use of industrialized processes. Furthermore, this research provides the installation procedures for the panel components and all relevant details regarding the connections with the existing structure of the building.

Highlights

IntroductionThe issue of rehabilitation has become significant for the current poor performance quality of most of the buildings built in Italy between the end of World War II and the early 1980s, which show physical degradation and functional obsolescence due to several factors
The blocks are sized in such a way that, with only one type of base block (A) and the relative half-block (B), a high degree of flexibility and aesthetic quality can be obtained relative half-block (B), a high degree of flexibility and aesthetic quality can be obtained from the the panel panel design design (Figure (Figure2)
) and a nut, M16 quality which a new seismic coat made of natural stone assembled dry and pre-compressed has been specific tightening value is applied to give the necessary global prestressing (Figure 8b)

Summary

Introduction

The issue of rehabilitation has become significant for the current poor performance quality of most of the buildings built in Italy between the end of World War II and the early 1980s, which show physical degradation and functional obsolescence due to several factors. The seismic vulnerability of buildings built before the seismic classification of the construction site, and verified only for vertical loads in static regime, is very high. In order to reach the performance standards required by the current anti-seismic legislation, it is necessary to make the existing structure suitable for resisting the dynamic actions generated by seismic events. Maintenance and renovation operations can extend the Sustainability 2021, 13, 6466.

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