Sj?str?m, C. (Ed)
2004
CIB, 295
| "This publication covers work undertaken within the CIB Working Commission W080/RILEM Technical Committee 140-TSL on the prediction of service life of building materials and components during the period between 1991 and 1996 and as well, additional information subsequently provided in the period between 1997 and 2002. It was intended that this publication offer researchers and knowledgeable practitioners a useful guide to service life prediction - a primer -providing fundamental information related to methods of service life prediction, information on environmental characterisation, and relevant information on the performance and durability of construction materials. Each part is self-contained - pagination is unique to the part and Tables or Figures in the text have been enumerated using a prefix that relates to the section in which they are presented.
References are exclusive to the Part in which they are used - these have not been cross-referenced to the other parts nor the bibliography.
The introduction offers background to the work, a general overview of the document and the terminology used in the text. Following which, the document is divided into four parts, the first of which provides an overview of service life and durability issues - it is an introduction to the topic. The second part represents a significant contribution on environmental characterisation, previously published by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research in 1996.
The third part encompasses various contributions specifically related to materials. Originally, it was thought that this part would provide basic information on material properties and the performance and durability of a broad range of construction materials including, cement-based materials and concrete, different metals including, steel, iron, aluminium, and polymer-based materials and so on. Although this part does provide some extremely useful information on copper, natural stone, brick masonry, clay and wood construction materials the broad list of materials originally intended is yet to be completed. Given the significance of the task this work must be considered on going. The format for reporting has been set and it is hoped that future editions of this work will help fill in the missing pieces of information.
The final part of the document provides an annotated bibliography that includes abstracts or summaries of works related to service life and durability, case studies as well as experimental work on materials, components and systems, based on the original document prepared at the National Research Council Canada in 1993.
Information on the service life and long-term performance of materials, components and system is a vital link in attaining sustainable and economically viable construction. It is hoped that this initial contribution will spur others in this domain, in particular in the construction material manufacturing industry, to provide additional information on the durability of components, insights into their comportment in an assembly or system and related information on their performance and long-term performance. The task to compile the information is considerable and continued support of these activities is essential if these worthwhile objectives are to be fulfilled. |
