Maintenance costs for European zinc and Portland limestone surfaces due to air pollution since the 1980s

Abstract

The purpose of the reported research was to estimate maintenance costs, cost savings and lifetime increases for outdoor material surfaces in Europe, obtainable by reducing air pollution. Data and methodology from the ICP-materials project were used. The results suggest that for material surfaces exposed outdoor in Europe, a hypothetical 50% reduction in air pollution from present (2014) levels, would give an average overall increase in the near future lifetimes between maintenance due to atmospheric chemical weathering, of about 25%, and savings in maintenance cost of about 10%. It was found that for zinc monument surfaces since 1987 until 2014, the theoretical lifetime before maintenance has, on average for the ICP-locations, increased with about 125% (from 118 to 265 years). The additional average lifetime due to 50% pollution reduction would have been about 26%, representing maintenance cost savings sinking from about 20% in 1987 to 10% in 2014. For Portland limestone an increase in lifetime since 2002 until 2014, and additional lifetime due to 50% pollution reduction, of 35–40% was indicated, representing maintenance cost savings of about 14%. This would have been very significant cost savings considering the total use of zinc and Portland limestone as construction and façade materials.