Seismic Evaluation of a Curtain Wall System for Improving the Adaptive Performance of Connecting Nonstructural Components

In recent decades, the emblematic relationship between the environment and buildings, in a key that investigates aspects of safety, comfort, and sustainability, become a driver of technological innovation, especially about the performance potential of the vertical closures that make up the building envelope. These processes have enshrined the etymological and performance transition of enclosure systems from passive/massive to adaptive/responsive systems. The envelope becomes untethered from the primary structure and acquires new specificities dictated by the need to configure itself as an osmotic membrane, capable of changing its adaptive-material behavior as external stresses change, minimizing impacts and vulnerabilities resulting from extreme events. Thus, the research is framed within the scope of issues related to the innovative declinations of the concepts of adaptivity of the non-structural components of the building envelope, with particular reference to curtain wall systems, for the management of vibration responses induced by seismic action. The research project aims to define a new experimental process for a curtain wall system, Stick System, the goal of which concerns the definition of the technological-material characteristics of a frame-facade connection element, capable of responding adaptively to the stresses arising from seismic events while maintaining its performance functionality. The research is being carried out in partnership with a company specializing in curtain wall production and with the developers of simulation software; finally, it has the collaboration of a testing laboratory for innovative envelopes. The research challenge is focused toward the design of connections, in the elastoplastic field to ensure their functionality, not only for the safety of the occupants but also in the face of environmental requirements that influence the use of the building. The final phase of the research project involves the performance verification of the stressed facade system, superimposition, and validation of the results obtained through laboratory tests and simulation software.