Seismic and Energy Retrofit of the Historic Urban Fabric of Enna (Italy)

The paper exemplifies several methods of existing housing’s retrofit through four case studies, representative of the historical centre of Enna, a small town in Sicily, according to the requirements of static safety, typological adaptation and indoor comfort. These buildings were mostly built in the nineteenth century, up to three floors based on load bearing masonry, iron joists and hollow tiles floors and wooden roofs. The typological and construction analysis of these buildings was carried out, to identify the stratigraphy of the different technical elements. Static and energy audits have been previously made to understand the gap between the current state of the buildings and the Italian standards and develop appropriate interventions, by taking into account their site characteristics, the energy and seismic risk class pre- and post-retrofit intervention. The analyses and the retrofit interventions were performed in compliance with Italian standards and laws, to strive to reach the minimum level. The study supports the planning of structural and energy retrofit interventions designed for historic load bearing masonry buildings. Finally, the study simulates a strategy of action to provide subsidies and tax relief related to the effective seismic and/or energy improvement, that could be relevant for owners/builders as well as for local authorities.