Strategies for Structural and Energy Improvement in Mid-Rise Unreinforced Masonry Apartment Buildings. A Case Study in Mestre (Northeast Italy)

Abstract

Two-thirds of the Italian building stock was already built by the 1970s, largely according to gravity load design and using economical materials and poor workmanship. Currently, the structures, fixtures, and fittings of these buildings have reached the end of their service life, and they require both an assessment and an update to meet new standards and new needs. As an example of a common type, this article deals with the assessment of the present state and the proposal of an integrated structural and architectural intervention on an existing brick masonry mid-rise apartment building in the suburbs of Venice, Northern Italy. The structural analysis highlights a moderate vulnerability, despite the low seismic hazard, and the energy analysis indicates that the highest management costs are due to heating and sanitary uses. Low-impact strategies are preferred for each aspect of the required interventions. Their costs are counterbalanced by (a) the reduction to a fifth of the present management costs; (b) a 20% average increase in the economic value of the flats; and (c) a favorable tax regime at the national level. Transformed into parametric values, also useful for large scale analyses, these costs resulted in a sustainable monthly instalment from the owners, who may also benefit from the increased quality of the place where they live.

An Analysis of the Development of Modular Building Design Elements to Improve Thermal Performance of a Representative High Rise Residential Estate in the Coastline City of Famagusta, Cyprus

“…Another pilot study was conducted on assessing energy use and overheating risk in net-zero-energy residential buildings under the Horizon 2030 research project with case studies in Cyprus, France, Italy, and the UK. Design, optimisation, implementation and monitoring of advanced energy efficiency solutions to upgrade the building envelope of the inefficient residential building stock were assessed [73][74][75][76].…”

Life-Cycle Assessment of Sculptured Tiles for Building Envelopes in Mediterranean Climate

“…Electricity, hard coal, at power plant/ES 4 Electricity, natural gas, at power plant/ES 4 Electricity, PV, at 3 kWp flat roof installation, multi-Si/CH 3 Notes: 1 Cement was modified to present Portland cement with 95% clinker (CEM I) and Portland cement with 65% clinker (CEM II) used in Israel. 2 Electricity was modified to present Israeli electricity sources: 31% coal, 56% natural gas, and 13% PV, used in 2020, and 8% coal, 57% natural gas, and 35% PV, planned for 2025. 3 Switzerland.…”

“…This large amount of energy consumption can be significantly reduced with proper insulation of the building's envelope. For example, Sbrogiò et al [2] and Al-Saqqaf et al [3] used typical energy-saving technologies (e.g., cladding all exterior walls with mineral wool, insulating panels for floor slabs, double walls with polystyrene insulation, installation of a green roof and double low-E glass) to reduce energy consumption in heating and cooling old or heritage buildings. In both cases, the authors reported a significant energy-saving effect for the operational energy (OE) stage.…”

Timber Based Integrated Techniques to Improve Energy Efficiency and Seismic Behaviour of Existing Masonry Buildings

“…The retrofit techniques analysed herein are designed to improve the seismic and energetic behaviour of existing masonry buildings, with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of the occupants while preserving the building heritage thanks to integrated and fast-execution interventions. Structural, energetic, and architectural aspects must be considered simultaneously to obtain a cost-optimal renovation [3,4]. In this respect, the use of timber elements appears as promising.…”