Integrated Seismic and Energy Retrofitting System Using Textile-Reinforced Mortars Combined with Thermal Insulation

Taking into consideration the seismic vulnerability of older buildings and the increasing need for reducing their carbon footprint and energy consumption, the application of an innovative system is investigated; the system is based on the use of textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) and thermal insulation as a means of combined seismic and energy retrofitting of buildings with masonry walls. Medium-scale tests were carried out on masonry walls subjected to out-of-plane and in-plane cyclic loading. Two key parameters were investigated experimentally: placement of the TRM in a sandwich form (over and under the insulation) or outside the insulation, and one-sided or two-sided TRM jacketing. A simple analytical method is developed and found in good agreement with test results. Additionally, numerical modeling is carried out, and it is also found in good agreement with test results. From the results obtained in this study it is concluded that TRM jacketing may be combined effectively with thermal insulation, increasing the overall strength and energy efficiency of the masonry panels in unreinforced masonry or masonry infilled buildings.