Understanding Building Failures Book

List of figures     ix
List of tables     xiii
Preface to third edition     xv
Acknowledgements     xvii
Disclaimer     xix
Introduction to building pathology     1
Context     1
Background to the construction industry     10
A model of best practice in building pathology     16
Evidence-based practice     18
Personal-based practice     21
Summary     25
Principles of building diagnostics     27
Introduction to diagnostics     27
Decision making in defects diagnosis     34
Risk in building diagnostics     44
Summary     47
Basic investigative methodology     48
Background     48
General investigative procedure     50
Diagnostic process     52
Models of analysing defects     58
Problems in defects diagnosis     65
Summary     69
Diagnostic techniques and tools     70
Information and decision aids     70
Physical aids     71
Background to analytical techniques     73
Spectroscopy     74
Otheranalytical techniques     78
Non-destructive testing     88
Summary     93
Deterioration mechanisms     94
Background     94
Principal deterioration mechanisms     95
Degrees of deterioration     106
Staining     109
Relationship between deterioration, obsolescence and depreciation     110
Summary     111
Durability and service life assessment     112
Durability of materials     112
Service life assessment     138
Summary     143
Moisture     144
Introduction     144
Sources of moisture     145
Moisture from human activities     149
Condensation     150
Avoidance of condensation     153
Summary     155
Foundations     156
Introduction     156
Type and structure of the soil     156
Interaction between soils and buildings     157
Soil movement     157
Fill     164
Summary     166
Floors, floor finishes and DPMs     167
Background     167
Hardcore      167
Damp-proofing of floors     170
Concrete floors     171
Magnesite flooring     176
Timber flooring     177
Clay floor tiles     180
Plastic sheets and tiles     181
Summary     182
Walls and DPCs     183
Moisture penetration from the ground     183
Rain penetration     185
Cold bridges and interstitial condensation     192
Cracking and spalling of masonry through movement     193
Damage to walls by chemical attack     197
Damage to walls by physical attack     200
Problems with renderings     203
Summary     204
Cladding     205
Background     205
Differential movement     205
Inaccuracies in construction     209
Faults caused by movement and inaccuracy     209
Sealants     212
Fixing methods     212
Prevention of loss of integrity in cladding     215
Water entry     217
Metal cladding     220
Summary     221
Doors and windows     222
Background     222
Doors      222
Windows     223
Prevention of failure and remedial work     229
Summary     231
Roofs     232
Background     232
Flat roofs     232
Pitched roofs     249
Summary     254
Services     255
Background     255
Heating installations     255
Chimneys and flues     257
Plumbing and drainage     260
Electricity supply     262
Summary     263
Failure patterns and control     264
Background     264
Ongoing defects     265
Review of causes     266
Recap on reasons for failure     267
Problems of innovation     269
Minimising building failures     270
Towards better control     274
Summary     278
Glossary     280
Schedule of defects     296
Various defects data analysis checklists     297
Sample diagnostic report     302
References     306
Index     320