Across Europe, a big share of the building stock needs renovation. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre notes that 70% of European buildings were built before 1990, and 40% were built before 1970. That reality is driving demand for retrofit approaches that address safety and energy use at the same time.
Through the iRESIST+ project, the JRC examined “integrated” retrofits that combine seismic upgrading with energy retrofits. Two systems were validated through full-scale experimental testing at the ELSA lab on a custom-built building designed to represent a very common European typology, a reinforced concrete structure with masonry infill walls.
The testing sequence matters for contractors. Researchers first ran earthquake simulations on the non-retrofitted building, then performed blower door tests to see how seismic damage affected airtightness. After that baseline, the team installed each integrated retrofit system in succession and ran realistic earthquake sequences of increasing intensity to measure performance after the upgrades.
One integrated approach paired inorganic textile-based composites with thermal insulation. The project compared several inorganic textile composites, then selected basalt for the full-scale testing based on structural and environmental performance. A bio-based integrated system also went through experimental validation.
Beyond the lab, the JRC built a numerical model representing the building stock of 20 European cities and examined renovation strategies through 2030. It projected that a 3% annual renovation rate reduces heating and cooling needs by up to 32% and cuts related carbon emissions by up to 38%. The JRC also reported that integrating seismic and energy work reduces labor and intervention time, with intervention costs about 30% lower than doing the upgrades separately.
For mason contractors, the takeaway is straightforward: masonry infill walls sit at the center of many envelope upgrades, and integrated scopes tighten schedules. Projects like iRESIST+ put a spotlight on coordination between seismic strengthening work, insulation installation, and post-event airtightness verification.
Read the full, original article from joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu here.