Cladding

Although the construction costs appear rather high, above all if compared with other more conventional solutions of wall structure, there are economizing factors linked to the management of the building’s entire life cycle, able to alleviate the initial burden of expenses. With regard to the more general economizing factors, the cavity wall system guarantees: - saving of energy consumption thanks to minimal heat dispersion from the perimeter walls; - a reduction in thickness of the perimeter walls, which leads to smaller dimensions in load bearing structures. From an economical point of view, it is evidently important that the mechanical fixing system, which can assume highly sophisticated technological characteristics, does not heavily increase the costs, at the same time ensuring quick and easy execution (with reduced mounting costs) and simple maintenance procedures. The fixing system should always allow for the substitution of a damaged part without having to disassemble a large number of elements adjacent to it. ; Going back to the mechanical fixing systems of cladding, having briefly looked at the general costs, we can highlight the most important aspects to bear in mind before choosing the type of anchorage:1. physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the material, together with the specific geometry of the ele- ments, of the cladding; 2. climatic and meteorological condi- tions of the building’s location; 3. type and spatial form of structures on which the cladding is abutted. With regard to the first point, Ennio Grassi, a great expert in mechanical fixing systems for cavity walls, out- lines the features of the two research phases (analyses of the material and analyses of the elements’ morphol- ogy), useful for a correct definition of the type of fixing mechanism: “The definition of the fixing system involves acquiring an important set of char- acteristic parameters of the material to be fixed, in this case terracotta, which familiarize one with its physi- cal, chemical and mechanical reac- tions to certain climatic conditions and to the building’s location and relative conditions of load. Such research should not be limited to merely determining traditional data regarding compressive and ten- sile stress on samples of core material in their natural state. It is also neces- sary to effect special tests on the actual size of the cladding element to be installed, to determine its mechan- ical resistance after having applied cycles of freezing and thermal shock and tested its resistance to breaking in the points of fastening, which is strongly influenced by the geometry of the metal fixing element’s housing on the terracotta element”;

Although the construction costs appear rather high, above all if compared with other more conventional solutions of wall structure, there are economizing factors linked to the management of the building’s entire life cycle, able to alleviate the initial burden of expenses. With regard to the more general economizing factors, the cavity wall system guarantees: - saving of energy consumption thanks to minimal heat dispersion from the perimeter walls; - a reduction in thickness of the perimeter walls, which leads to smaller dimensions in load bearing structures. From an economical point of view, it is evidently important that the mechanical fixing system, which can assume highly sophisticated technological characteristics, does not heavily increase the costs, at the same time ensuring quick and easy execution (with reduced mounting costs) and simple maintenance procedures. The fixing system should always allow for the substitution of a damaged part without having to disassemble a large number of elements adjacent to it.