Stochastic Approach to the Factor Method: Durability of Rendered Façades
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 2
Abstract
The degradation of building materials occurs as a stochastic phenomenon. Service life prediction methods are usually divided into deterministic, stochastic, and engineering methods. Deterministic models are simpler and easier to use, but are unable to capture the random nature of the degradation phenomena. On the other hand, stochastic models are more complex but very efficient in dealing with the uncertainty associated with a building’s performance. In this study, a stochastic approach to the factor method is proposed to predict the service life of rendered façades. The model proposed is based on a survey of the degradation state of 85 rendered façades located in Portugal. The factors that affect the durability of this type of coating are identified and translated into probability distributions. This analysis leads to coherent values, revealing that façades on buildings built with adequate design measures are more durable; façades exposed to adverse environmental conditions are more prone to degradation and are penalized in the quantification of durability factors; private buildings are more prone to suffer degradation (this result is related to the budget available for maintenance). This methodology provides an estimated service life of any given rendered façade through a probability distribution.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the ICIST Research Institute, IST, University of Lisbon, and the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology).
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 2 • February 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 26, 2015
Accepted: Jun 25, 2015
Published online: Aug 18, 2015
Discussion open until: Jan 18, 2016
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
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