Service life prediction of building components in the times of climate change

Abstract

Buildings components and assemblies are prone to decay over time due to the inherent characteristics of the materials, environmental conditions and operational use of them. For this reason, it is very important to know the right time and type of maintenance and adaptation interventions that need to be applied to the specific compounds. The answer to the above issue can be given through the service life prediction (SLP) of the components by using standardized calculation methods. In historic buildings, the process of SLP takes significant importance because these buildings hold non-renewable cultural heritage value and therefore, the interventions should be performed in a way that preserves the original material and value while enhancing the service life. Nowadays, for such buildings that are predicted to live for centuries, the SLP needs to be corrected by considering the effects of climate change in the construction materials. The paper presents an overview of the application of the well-known factor method in the estimation of the serviceability of the building components, with a special focus on historic buildings impacted by climate change. The technical compatibility, economic viability, use of the building and the indoor/outdoor environments are considered during the assessment of the service life which is strictly linked with the level of decay. It gives a short explanation of the factors that constitute the method by including the effects of climate change and an example of application to a specific case study in Norway.