Seismic and Energy Renovation: A Review of the Code Requirements and Solutions in Italy and Romania

Abstract

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.

A Methodology for an Integrated Approach for Seismic and Energy Refurbishment of Historic Buildings in Mediterranean Area

“…Sustainability 2018, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 21 reinforced concrete structures, in Italy and Romania and described some key combined renovation interventions as well as advantages and perspectives of an integrated renovation approach [25]. The design of structural and energy retrofit interventions planned for historic load-bearing masonry buildings has been proposed for the town of Enna [26].…”

“…This project combines different pre-fabricated elements in an integrated system that enables the achievement of high performance in terms of energy requirements, structural safety and social sustainability. Other authors have pointed out the common practices for buildings with reinforced concrete structures, in Italy and Romania and described some key combined renovation interventions as well as advantages and perspectives of an integrated renovation approach [25].…”

Review of Seismic Risk Mitigation Policies in Earthquake-Prone Countries: Lessons for Earthquake Resilience in the United States

“…From 1905 to 2016, Italy experienced fifteen major earthquakes. The 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake (M 6.3) claimed more than 300 lives, and 10,000 buildings were damaged in the L'Aquila and Abruzzo regions (Georgescu et al 2018). The 2016 Central Italy Earthquake Sequence (between August and Octorber 2016) resulted in 299 fatalities, 386 injuries, and nearly 5000 people were left without homes in the regions of Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche, and Umbria (Fiorentino et al 2018).…”

“…Yet many of the world's buildings were constructed prior to modern seismic design codes and standards as both knowledge of seismic risk and design standards continue to evolve (Jaiswal and Wald 2008). Moreover, buildings damaged in previous earthquakes may not be able to sustain additional damage caused by future earthquake events (Georgescu et al 2018). Thus, there is growing appreciation for pre-earthquake risk mitigation to address the existing building stock (Filippova and Noy 2020).…”

Seismic and Energy Retrofit of Apartment Buildings through Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks Infill Walls

“…To start with a focus on typical strategies for structural retrofit, one possible way is to increase the strength and/or ductility capacity of the structure at a global or local scale. For instance, the global strength of a structure can be increased by adding new seismic-resistant elements, e.g., RC shear walls or steel-braced frames [11]. The new resisting elements should be properly connected to the existing structure and stiff enough to sustain part of the seismic force.…”