Existing industrial buildings – A review on multidisciplinary research trends and retrofit solutions

In order to meet the international goals for a sustainable development, it is mandatory to implement energy saving solutions on existing buildings and industrial ones should be also addressed since industry related consumption covers approximately one third of the global energy demand. Industrial facilities are usually characterized by low overall quality standards and performance levels, largely influenced by their old age and architectural/technological, energy, and structural issues. The paper aims at outlining the current state of the research on manufacturing facilities, focusing on their energy efficiency and the related redevelopment solutions. The PRISMA methodology was adopted in the initial stages, coupled with a computer-aided bibliometric review tool: globally, 203 scientific papers retrieved on Web Of Science and ScienceDirect databases were analysed. Three main areas of interest were pointed out referring to structural and seismic behaviour, building envelope and systems performance, and energy-related issues. The analysis conducted revealed a significant gap in the literature concerning integrated retrofit solutions for industrial facilities and the review serves as a robust knowledge base for the development of comprehensive redevelopment guidelines for this peculiar building stock.