Integrated seismic and energy retrofitting of masonry-infilled RC buildings with textile-reinforced mortar and thermal insulation: Full-scale tests on a five-story prototype

This paper presents an experimental evaluation of a retrofit system designed to enhance both seismic resistance and energy efficiency of masonry-infilled reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. The study involved hybrid earthquake simulations on two configurations of a full-scale five-story building: the original and its retrofitted counterpart. The retrofit interventions included the application of textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) jackets combined with external thermal insulation panels. Two seismic strengthening schemes were implemented: open U-shaped TRM jackets on one building façade and closed jackets on the opposing façade. Thermal insulation was applied only to one side of the retrofitted specimen to assess the impact of earthquake-induced damage on the insulation system and building airtightness. The two building specimens were subjected to unidirectional earthquake simulations employing the pseudodynamic (PsD) testing method with substructuring, where the upper stories were simulated numerically. The results indicated that the retrofitted structure could withstand up to 0.40 g with only minor damage and 0.45 g with significant damage to the masonry infills, in contrast to the original building, which developed a soft-story mechanism at a peak ground acceleration of 0.30 g. Additionally, blower door testing revealed that the TRM-retrofitted structure exhibited 69%–78% less air infiltration compared to the non-retrofitted building, even after testing at earthquake intensities of 0.40 g. This research highlights the potential of TRM jackets in enhancing the seismic performance of masonry infills while concurrently achieving energy upgrade objectives, providing valuable insights for holistic building retrofits targeting improved safety and sustainability. • Seismic performance comparison of non-retrofitted and TRM-retrofitted RC buildings • TRM jackets minimise damage and protect insulation under high earthquake intensities • Damage thresholds based on peak IDRs for seismic retrofit design and assessment • Continuous PsD testing simulates earthquake effects on a full-scale RC buildings • Data supports using integrated retrofits for seismic safety and energy efficiency