A new prefabricated external thermal insulation composite board with ceramic finishing for buildings retrofitting

Given the high energy consumption connected to old buildings and their large environmental impact, there is a strong need for effective solutions for the building envelope retrofitting. Among these solutions, external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) have found large application in recent decades. In this paper a new kind of large-size thermal insulation composite boards, prefabricated using porcelain stoneware slab finishing, was developed. Different thermal insulating materials and adhesives, with and without glass fibre mesh, were tested by both current methodologies and purposely designed tests, in order to assess their physical–mechanical properties and durability performance, finally selecting the most suitable materials for the composite board. The strong points of this composite board are mainly: (i) its short placing time and improved execution quality, due to prefabrication; (ii) its high aesthetical value; (iii) its high durability, as the finishing layer is mostly insensible to weathering. The results highlight the good performances of the prefabricated composite board developed in this study (generally higher than current ETICS). The testing procedure followed in this study is also meant to give a contribution to the establishment of methodologies for the selection and durability assessment of materials for the building envelope retrofitting.