ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the influence of thermal elements on stability. Experimental studies concerning the interaction between thermal performance and structural stability of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures remain limited. The chapter aims to develop a better understanding of the behaviour of current URM structures in presence of thermal layers. The presence of additional elements specifically aiming at improving the energy efficiency of buildings is known as potentially having a significant impact on the resistance and stability of load-bearing masonry walls. An increasing amount of standards and regulations is being considered to satisfy the environmental conditions such as thermal comfort, fire resistance, soundproofing, and so on. As a result, the demand on the construction industry has noticeably increased in the direction of optimized construction products with improved thermal insulation of the units, with the potential consequence of modified their mechanical resistance properties.
