Earthquake-safe and energy-efficient infill panels for modern buildings

The recent earthquakes that occurred in Central Italy, in L’Aquila in 2009 and in Amatrice in 2016, have shown, once again, how infill panels and partitions, widely used as non-structural elements in reinforced concrete frames, are significantly vulnerable when subjected to seismic actions. Moreover, they highly affect the structural behavior and seismic response of typical, multi-story buildings, strongly influencing their repair costs due to the inevitable damage they usually undergo during seismic events. Therefore, they should be designed to withstand earthquakes forces, both in-plane and out-of-plane, so to ensure the safety of the occupants. In addition to seismic performance, infill panels play the primary role of providing comfort to occupants through adequate thermal and acoustic insulation. In this paper, an innovative solution of earthquake-safe and eco-friendly infill panels is presented, which are, at the same time, thermally and acoustically efficient, thus avoiding waste of energy and respecting the environment. The proposed innovative technology is tested with different surface finishes, boundary conditions and temperatures. A comparison of the proposed technology with respect to conventional infill typologies is provided, highlighting pros and cons.