The potential of energy micropiles as energy geostructures

In the context of structural rehabilitation of buildings, micropiles stand as the optimum choice for retrofitting and underpinning of existing foundations. This technology could also be advantageously extended in the sector of energy rehabilitation, as thethermal performance of micropiles suitably equipped to allow heat exchange between the ground and the building has proven promising for use in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Although very similar to energy piles, the behavior of energy micropiles is expected to be different mainly due to the difference in sizes and spacing. As such, a comprehensive understanding of the thermo-mechanical behavior of energy micropiles is important in view of their application. To date, however, little research has been conducted on the subject. The paper introduces energy micropiles, discusses their thermal performance and thermo-mechanical behaviour, and describes a real case of energy micropiles application.