Functional, Energy and Seismic Retrofitting in Existing Building: An Innovative System Based on xlam Technology

In recent years significant investments were made in retrofitting of existing buildings with the aim to realize a strong functional, energy and seismic refurbishment. This is a complicated challenge: the technical and economic feasibility of intervention must be correctly defined and most of interventions are not standardized or coordinated or properly managed. Given the awarenessrelatedto environmental sustainability topics, this studyfocusedon the developmentof systems andtechnologiesbased on the useof natural and environmentally sustainable materials. The paper is focused on the xlam panel that is integrated into an existing building (outside or inside the external wall) in order to improve the static and structural tightening. The system is designed for modularization and standardization for giving simplicity and speed of assembly and low cost providing also. Through a three-dimensional and numerical model, simulations were carried out to verify and to optimize the energy behaviorof the chosenmaterials and to identifythe best combinationon thermal performancecomparedwith the costsandenvironmental impactsof the product. The valuesand the results obtainedwere testedexperimentallyin the laboratoryby the constructionof a prototype.