Guide to Deterioration and Failure of Building Materials

Professionals concerned with the built environment are all too often confronted with cases where building materials have failed prematurely.

The information required for the understanding of the causes of such failures, or for the appropriate remedial action is available in a number of texts, however it is generally buried under a mass of other information. "Guide to Deterioration and Failure of Building Materials" examines the interactions between environmental conditions, material properties and structural factors and provides practical, concise information on the causes of the deterioration of building materials and offers suggestions and recommendations on how best to deal with them.

There are usually a number of possible repair actions and the task is to find the appropriate solution, taking into account long-term as well as short-term costs, durability, effectiveness, feasibility and environmental acceptability. Whether it is cracking of concrete members due to overloading, fungal growth on timber or corrosion of metal caused by accumulation of pollutants - all of which are covered in the guide - a detailed analysis of an affected structure is imperative for identifying all the causes that contribute to the deterioration of the material. "Guide to Deterioration and Failure of Building Materials" provides concise synopses and diagnostic tables to aid the analysis of such failures and offers guidelines on appropriate remedial action.

It will prove to be an essential resource for all civil and structural engineers, manufacturers of building materials and students studying the built environment.