Abstract
This research results from the development of a global inspection system based on previous studies about individual expert inspection systems for 12 types of elements/materials of the envelopes of current buildings. The research focuses on the rational harmonisation of the causes of defects in a global classification list, established from 12 individual lists. The process considers predetermined criteria, including guidelines for merging, splitting and combining causes to reach a comprehensive and simple list. The frequency of the prescription of causes of defects is analysed and the causes “C-D12 Dampening of the cladding system” in painted façades and “C-B7 Use of unprescribed, inadequate, incompatible, low-quality, non-certified and/or non-approved materials” in natural stone claddings stand out. Additionally, when analysing the relationship of causes with defects, some causes are highlighted because they are considered direct causes of defects in a broad range of building elements/materials, namely: “C-C9 Accidental collisions with the cladding”, “C-C7 Intentional collisions/vandalism”, “C-D2 Excessive, insufficient or differentiated solar radiation”, “C-D8 Presence of rainwater or snow” and “C-D12 Dampening of the cladding system”. The proposed list of causes successfully gathers causal knowledge on the pathology of the non-structural building envelope in a single component, homogenising the vocabulary used for several building elements/materials.
Highlights
Technical building inspection procedures are enhanced with the adoption of standard activities
The global inspection system has a strict structure based on classification lists and correlation matrices, complemented by: detailed files with further information and an atlas of defects composed of short descriptions and photographs, with varying levels of repair urgency according to the type of defect, building element/material and degradation conditions
The global inspection system under development at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST)-University of Lisbon (UL) is based on a set of 12 individual expert inspection systems developed by different members of the research team, each one focusing on a single type of element/material of the building envelope (Table 1): external claddings of pitched roofs; flat roofs; door and window frames; wall renders; external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS); painted façades; architectural concrete surfaces; adhesive ceramic tiling; natural stone claddings; wood floorings; epoxy resin industrial floor coatings; and vinyl and linoleum floorings
Summary
Technical building inspection procedures are enhanced with the adoption of standard activities. The global inspection system has a strict structure based on classification lists and correlation matrices, complemented by: detailed files with further information and an atlas of defects composed of short descriptions and photographs, with varying levels of repair urgency according to the type of defect, building element/material and degradation conditions. Following the structure of the individual expert inspection systems, the global building inspection system includes classification lists of defects, their causes, diagnosis methods and repair techniques, correlation matrices between the defects and the other entities and an inter-defects correlation matrix [11]. The results include the harmonisation criteria and the proposed list of the causes of defects, as well as analyses of the frequency data of causes (based on fieldwork data) and of the defects–probable causes correlation matrix
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