Most European cities are characterized by very large areas, often formed by buildings of low quality, from a series of perspectives (architectural, technological, materials, technical systems, etc.). The possibility of renovating them is strategic to improve both the quality of life and to the possibility of economic recovery for building companies. In the last decades, the attention of the scientific community has been addressed to the energy renovation, thanks to the strong activities of the European Community in this field. However, since a relevant part of the EC territory is at risk of earthquake, the possibility to combine both energy and seismic renovation actions may be strategic for many countries. In particular, Italy and Romania are linked by a common social tradition that springs from the Roman Empire. Nowadays, this link is stronger, thanks to common interests in social, cultural and business fields. Therefore, the investigation of possible synergies for seismic and energy renovation strategies may be really interesting for both countries. In this paper, after an overview of regulations and common practices for buildings with reinforced concrete structures, in both states, some key combined renovation interventions will be described and discussed, as well as advantages and perspectives of integrated renovation approaches. The outcomes of this work are to show the way to transform existing energy-consuming and seismic-prone buildings into energy-efficient and seismic-resistant ones.
This research aims at providing a sound concept and pilot application of a security centre in a study area of Bucharest that suffered a demolition in the 1980s. As this is at present a protected area, there is a need for a multi-hazard threats assessment. The cultural value was assessed with scoring criteria and methods, on six scaling stages. The functional value, as well as the seismic vulnerability was evaluated, for building classes and urban plan provisions. The hazards and scenarios were for: earthquakes, floods, extreme climatic events, technological and terrorist explosions and dangerous chemical spilling. The affected area would be large and a considerable amount of property damage and affected persons would be recorded; thus, community readiness is a must. The security centre was set on special criteria to provide sheltering and living conditions for evacuated persons, being also a community disaster preparedness locus. The authors aimed at technical and institutional management tools to create an urban security zone within or closer to the community. Under a multihazard threat, the location and the extent of the security centre was located in the premises of a local college, for seismic or explosion hazard, and in a park or in a public place on a close hill, for flood hazard. Besides reliable buildings, tents and containers are also considered as potential sheltering spaces.
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