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Special Issue "The Effects of Climate Change on the Durability of Built Assets"

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 3935

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michael A. Lacasse

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Guest Editor

National Research Council Canada, Construction Research Centre, 1200 Montreal Road, Building M24, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
Interests: environment; sustainability; climate change; climate loads; climate modelling; carbon budget; durability; long-term moisture performance; urban heat island; green technologies; materials technology; polymeric materials; building technology; civil engineering; simulation and numerical modelling; technological innovation; technology transfer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Ana Silva

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Guest Editor

CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: building pathology and rehabilitation of buildings; service life prediction, durability and life cycle of buildings and their components
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jorge de Brito

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georresources, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: CIB—International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction; durability of building elements, maintenance of buildings; rehabilitation of buildings; building life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background

Sustainable building practices are rooted in the need for reliable information on the long-term performance and, more specifically, the expected service life of building components and assemblies. This need is ever more evident given the anticipated effects of climate change on the built environment and the many initiatives worldwide focused on ensuring that structures are not only resilient but can also maintain their resilience over the long term. Activities around the globe focused on this topic include those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the European Climate Adaptation Platform, the European Commission, and the European Environment Agency, as well as the International Council for Research and Innovation in Construction, CIB W080 (Service life of building materials and components), and the International Standard Organisation, ISO TC59 SC14 on Design Life of Built Assets. Members of the CIB and ISO recently attended the CIB World Building Congress 2022, in Melbourne, Australia (27–30 June 2022). Among the papers contributed to this Special Issue are also included Selected Papers from the CIB World Building Congress 2022 session on “Durability and Climate Change: Implications for Building Design and Construction Practice”.

Intent and Scope of the Special issue

The intent of this Special Issue is to obtain contributions that will advance knowledge related to understanding the effects of climate change on the built environment. Accordingly, contributions are being sought related to issues of sustainability and the effects of climate change, and implications of such changes on the long-term performance and durability of building components, assemblies, and systems.

Dr. Michael A. Lacasse
Dr. Ana Silva
Prof. Dr. Jorge de Brito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

long-term performance
buildings
building components
building elements
climate loads
climate change effects
durability
glazing
roofing system
wall assemblies

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

Open AccessReview

Toward the Sustainable and Efficient Use of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS): A Comprehensive Review of Anomalies, Performance Parameters, Requirements and Durability

and

Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1664; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071664 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 623

Abstract

The identification of the main degradation agents and knowledge of the degradation mechanisms and long-term performance of ETICSs are of fundamental importance for the sustainable and efficient use of these systems. This review article presents the state of the art related to the durability of ETICSs, defining the required bases for their sustainable and efficient use. The aim is to identify the most common anomalies detected on ETICS façades and their causes, to overview the performance of ETICS, their performance parameters and requirements and to identify the most significant degradation mechanisms and the related failure modes. The results show that ETICS application is a key aspect in the performance and durability of the system, since most of the anomalies can be prevented with proper design, execution and appropriate assembly of the system components. The greatest drawbacks lie in dealing with enhancing the water resistance over time, which leads to extensive cases of anomalies, and improving the mechanical and thermal performance during the life cycle. Further research is needed to evaluate the synergistic effect of several degradation agents and mechanisms toward a development in optimized durability assessment methodologies for ETICSs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Climate Change on the Durability of Built Assets)

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Open AccessReview

Effects of Climate Change on Rendered Façades: Expected Degradation in a Progressively Warmer and Drier Climate—A Review Based on the Literature

and

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020352 - 27 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 986

Abstract

Climate change could have a significant impact on buildings if its effects are not properly recognized. The consequences of climate action should be considered at the design and maintenance planning stage, with the objective of promoting the overall durability of constructions. Portugal, being part of the Mediterranean region, Southern Europe, and the Iberian Peninsula, and sometimes highlighted in projections as a critical area, is an example of a country considerably vulnerable to climate change impacts. The climate is expected to become warmer and drier, with a substantial rise in temperature and fall in precipitation by the end of the century. What implications will these changes have on the degradation of façades? Climate agents, such as temperature, solar radiation, humidity, precipitation, and wind, directly influence the performance of external claddings that protect internal building components. Cement render is the prevalent façade cladding in Portugal and Europe. Research to assess the risks of future climate-induced degradation on rendered façades is relevant in the context of buildings’ durability and adaptation to climate change. The objective of the present research was to define expectations about the impact of a progressively warmer and drier climate on the degradation of exterior cement renders, based on an analysis of related literature. Generally, less staining and more cracking are expected. Expectations about salt weathering and loss of adhesion are more uncertain and need further research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Climate Change on the Durability of Built Assets)

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Open AccessReview

Photocatalytic TiO₂-Based Coatings for Mortars on Facades: A Review of Efficiency, Durability, and Sustainability

Jéssica D. Bersch

Inês Flores-Colen

Angela B. Masuero

and

Denise C. C. Dal Molin

Buildings 2023, 13(1), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010186 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1610

Abstract

Due to the urgent need for a more sustainable built environment and actions against climate change, this paper presents a literature review about photocatalytic TiO₂-based thin layers to be applied on mortars in facades. Photocatalysis may be a potential strategy against current environmental and climate challenges by transforming or eliminating hazardous greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The main subjects researched were the coatings’ efficiency (which encompassed their self-cleaning ability, depolluting effect, and antimicrobial properties), durability, and sustainability. The method was based on the systematic literature review approach. Self-cleaning ability was the most recurrent topic retrieved from published studies, followed by depolluting effect and durability. There are few investigations about antimicrobial properties considering TiO₂-coated mortars in facades. However, sustainability studies through Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing represented the most significant gap, even requiring broader surveys. The photocatalytic activity of the coatings is well-proven in the literature, although specific evaluations may be needed for each coating composition and testing condition to understand their performance. The type of contamination agents, TiO₂ dispersion and characteristics, dopants, nanocomposites, and substrate are among the principal agents influencing the results; therefore, caution must be taken when comparing research. Mainly, adhesion and photocatalytic efficiency after ageing were studied on durability. More field exposures may be recommended. Regarding the trade-offs concerning the environmental impacts of TiO₂-based coatings, it is urgent to clarify whether their overall outcome is indeed advantageous and to investigate their resilience regarding climate change scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Climate Change on the Durability of Built Assets)

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Special Issue "The Effects of Climate Change on the Durability of Built Assets"

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