General design considerations for applying thermal insulation layers underneath foundations of buildings placed within the main seismic regions of Romania

Worldwide common efforts towards developing a sustainable, competitive, eco-friendly and efficient built environment have led to a new legal and technical spectrum of rules and requirements for high energy performance buildings. Provision of solutions for a continuous thermal envelope is sometimes essential in designing such buildings. Mitigating, as much as possible, the thermal bridging phenomenon is highly important and should be accounted from the very beginning in the design process. This issue can be addressed through various solutions when it comes to thermally insulating the superstructure but can be quite challenging and limited at infrastructure level, particularly for buildings set in areas exposed to earthquakes. This paper explores existing technical literature, local codes, norms and standards, with the twofold purpose of: (1) providing a view on the relevant available research and design prescriptions; and (2) outlining incipient general design considerations related to the feasibility of applying specific thermal insulation materials beneath buildings located within the main seismic regions of Romania.