COMPATIBLE ANCHORING SYSTEMS OF TEXTILE MEMBRANES IN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: THE CASE STUDY OF COURTYARDS ROOFING

Abstract

Within European policies on energy efficiency and the reduction of the environmental impact of the built environment, protected historic buildings represent a complex challenge. Their performance requirements must be addressed alongside conservation constraints, which limit the adoption of standardised retrofit strategies. In this context, textile membranes emerge as innovative solutions with the potential to improve environmental comfort and energy performance while preserving the historic fabric.

This contribution analyses technical textiles as reversible roofing systems for historic courtyard buildings, with particular attention to the behavior of connection nodes at the interface between the membrane and the existing structure. Through a review of the scientific literature, the most widespread anchorage systems adopted in architectural heritage are classified, with a specific focus on historical courtyards. A finite element numerical simulation applied to a representative courtyard building case study is then used to investigate the potential criticalities that may occur at the connection points.

The results show that textile membranes can offer potential benefits in terms of conservation, compatibility and reversibility. However, they may also generate localised thermophysical discontinuities at the anchorage nodes. Their integration therefore requires a careful multidisciplinary design approach, including the assessment of construction details at the local scale.