Degrado di strutture lignee in edifici storici: effetti dell’uso di isolanti capillarmente attivi per il retrofit energetico / Decay of wooden beams in historical buildings: effects of capillary active insulation for the energy retrofit

According to the actual Italian regulation on energy efficiency, retrofit interventions in historic building's envelope typically concern the internal thermal insulation, which however can cause a strong alteration of the hygrothermal conditions of the interior environment and of building components. Consequently, the risk of decay and microorganism proliferation increases. Aim of this work is the evaluation of the effectiveness of capillary active insulation materials for the reduction of these typical problems’ impact. After experimental activities, aimed at measuring operating hygrothermal conditions of a historic office building and obtaining simulation boundary conditions, HAM simulations have been used to evaluate the hygrothermal performance of wooden beams and envelope components. Results expressed by specific decay indicators showed that internal insulation is likely to involve an increase of building components decay. Nevertheless, the use of a capillary active insulation system can significantly reduce the damage risk.