Seismic and energy renovation: an innovative approach to historic preservation

The proposed paper presents a possible design approach to historical building renovation. It is based on two innovative building techniques, particularly suitable for this purpose. The first one is related to masonry structural reinforcement. It consists in a particular Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) wire mesh. This structural system has been recently introduced and offers several advantages when compared to traditional structural steel wire meshes. The second technology is a thermo-ceramic coating which provides an improvement in indoor comfort. It offers several advantages over traditional building insulation technologies. The combination of both of them leads to an innovative approach to historical buildings renovation, which proves to be highly sustainable from different perspectives. The paper also addresses the suitability of those systems for historical building renovation in Sicily; the results of an experimental test campaign will be discussed.