The traditional method used for solving moisture failures, as a water leakage in a building is to make an investigation and find the cause and repair the leakage. This solves the problem now, but it does not always prevent future failures. We need a systematic method to avoid future moisture problems. Solving similar failure problems is important in many industries as in production of aircrafts, cars and computers. The producers want to prevent failures by analysing the systems before production and getting a feedback from accidents. This is well known in the airline industry, where every accident is analysed to find the cause and after each accident a number of changes in the design or in the maintenance is suggested. The building sector is different from most stationary industry as only part of the building process is industrialized and the rest is done as craft. Many operations are not repeated and the work is adjusted on site. The workmanship is therefore important for the result. An analysis must include both technical a nd human errors.

We are interested in moisture problems in buildings, as we know that living in a "moist building" give a higher risk for health problems (Bornehaug et al. 2001). We do not know if it is emissions or mould or other factors that is problem. We have to look at too high moisture content (condensation and free water) as a problem. Finding methods to reduce the moisture failure m odes will be economic both from a maintenance and indoor climate perspective. ..."

"FAILURE MODE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS (FMEA)

What is a failure? Failure is defined as the inability of any asset to do what its users want it to do. A failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) as described in US MIL STD 1629 (1980) and Moubray (1999) are intended to recognize and evaluate the potential failures of a product (the house) or process (construction) and find its effects. It will identify actions that can be taken to prevent failures by eliminating or reducing the risk. The concept of FMEA is nothing new. Designers have always thought of failure modes and how to prevent them. In construction we have many rules and guides of how to build a house without future failures, but in most cases we do not look at the effect of the failure. The FMEA method uses a more systematic approach."

• fungi: damage to buildings

1. 3D room models for moisture balance calculations
2. Checklists for clean and moisture safe buildings
3. Use of statistics for prediction of risk for condensation in a wall construction cold walls radiation technique: the case of quality of air