Alternative Solution for Thermal Rehabilitation of Buildings with Polystyrene Panels

The construction industry in the European Union is turning increasingly in the direction of sustainable building. A particular important component of sustainable construction strategy is represented by the reduction of operational energy in buildings. One popular solution for the reduction of heat losses through the exterior envelope is the thermal insulation with polystyrene panels, frequently used in composite systems (ETICS - External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems). These solutions are efficient for operational energy savings, contributing in the same time to the reduction of environmental pollution and degradation due to the current energy production systems. Still, they present some reliability problems, being vulnerable to wind actions. The paper proposes an alternative solution for fixing the polystyrene panels by replacing the adhesive mortar with anchors and regular mortar to compensate the flatness. The paper presents experimental results for adhesive bonding strength of adhesive and regular mortar to various substrates. The results were embedded into numerical models for determining the response to wind actions both for the classical and proposed solution. The paper presents a comparative analysis of the mechanical and economic performance for the two fixing solutions. Finally are discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the mechanical fixing solution proposed and are identified the main areas of application.