Our mission
THE PROJECT
The ENHANCE project was created with the aim of promoting the industrial development of integrated innovative technologies capable of improving the structural performance and seismic safety of the existing building stock in Lazio, as well as reducing the environmental impact of this building, increasing its level of comfort and energy efficiency. To this end, green, adaptable and low-invasive intervention technologies acting on the building-envelope system are being developed.
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The project focuses on the application of low-damage and high-performance seismic technologies composed of wooden elements, already used for new buildings, to the construction of exoskeletons that can not only improve the safety of buildings, but also provide support for redevelopment energetic and architectural by modifying the facade through the application of a "second skin".
The objectives that the project aims to achieve are:
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Critical analysis of regional buildings and the definition of typological/material catalogues
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Development of low-invasive, sustainable and high-performance technological solutions and construction details
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Development of guidelines for the integrated design of the proposed technologies
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The achievement of the aforementioned objectives would make it possible to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL​) to encourage the adoption of these technologies in professional practice.
The context
The Lazio Region presents both a high vulnerability of its building stock to earthquakes, with more than 60% of homes prior to the issuing of the first anti-seismic regulations, and a medium-high level of seismic danger as emerges from the danger maps provided by the INGV.
Recent events (Molise 2002, L'Aquila 2009, Emilia 2012, Central Italy 2016) have highlighted how much of the built heritage is inadequate and particularly vulnerable from a seismic point of view. Lazio, in particular, contains areas of high seismicity, distributed along seismogenic zones elongated preferentially along the NW-SE Apennine direction, with seismic centers inside the region and outside.
These data highlight the importance of acting on existing buildings not only in terms of seismic risk mitigation, but also energy efficiency.
New technologies
PreSSS and Pres-Lam construction technologies have made it possible to construct low-damage buildings capable of withstanding catastrophic events without suffering significant damage. They represent one of the most advanced solutions that modern seismic engineering has to offer. At the same time, the growing attention to sustainability has led to the development of materials to reduce the energy consumption of buildings while also allowing for an improvement in occupant comfort.
The union of these technologies has made it possible to build extremely high-performance structures both in terms of safety, energy consumption and environmental sustainability.
Integrated Solution
By combining the most advanced technologies available for new buildings, we are developing an integrated solution for seismic-energy and architectural redevelopment.
The solution consists in the application of exoskeletons with low seismic damage developed through Pres-Lam technology which, in addition to improving the safety of the existing construction, allows the application of thermal insulation which performs the dual function of improving energy performance and giving new life to the facade of the building. These exoskeletons can also be used to expand volumes, thus allowing a partial return on the investment by increasing the value of the property.