This book highlights new developments in the field of building pathology and rehabilitation, taking an in-depth look into current approaches to the surveying of buildings and the study of defect diagnosis, prognosis and remediation. Including a number of real-world case studies and a detailed set of references for further reading, the book will appeal to a wide readership of scientists, practitioners, students and lecturers.

Featuring research on topics such as low energy buildings' concepts, construction materials and technology, hybrid energy systems, energy balance, and wellbeing, this book meets the expectations of academicians, specialists and researchers in the field, along with the scholars seeking coverage on buildings, environmental and human impact. It presents an integrated approach to the buildings' energetic aspects, from the perspective of environmental impact, together with the indoor wellbeing. In this respect, the chapters include state of the art, case studies, as well as research results that validate the raised hypotheses. The book integrates topics related to buildings' performance, approached by researchers with different backgrounds within the civil engineering domain, i.e. achieved energetics performances, obstacles, restrictions and limitations issues within design and optimization processes, including the new perspectives in the buildings & energy sector.

This book provides a novel approach to building pathology in current buildings. Drawing on the available literature, hands-on experience and fieldwork inspections, it presents a systematic perspective on the pathology of the building envelope. The book addresses natural stone claddings, adhesive ceramic tiling, renders, painted surfaces, External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), architectural concrete surfaces, windows and doors framing, and claddings for pitched and flat roofs. In addition to highlighting selected materials and construction elements, the book proposes a global classification system for defects and their probable causes, together with in situ diagnosis methods and repair techniques. It also identifies the relationships between defects and causes, diagnosis methods and repair techniques, and the interdependence between different defects, presenting these relations in the form of correlation matrices. Support files with detailed information and an inspection form are also provided. Selected case studies are presented to illustrate the value of a guidance system in fieldwork. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable guide, particularly for researchers, building inspectors, civil engineers, architects and maintenance planners.

The book presents recent research and practical insights relating to building pathology. As such it contributes toward the systematization and dissemination of knowledge regarding structural and hygrothermal pathologies, durability and diagnostic techniques, while at the same time, demonstrating the latest advances in this domain. It includes new developments in the field of building pathology and rehabilitation, bridging the gap between current approaches to the surveying of buildings and the detailed study of defect diagnosis, prognosis and remediation. It also features a number of case studies and a detailed list of references and suggestions for further reading. Providing an overview of the current state of the art in the field, the book will appeal to scientists, students, practitioners and lecturers. Furthermore, the topics covered are relevant to a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines, including civil, materials and mechanical engineering.

The book presents recent research and a collection of case studies and real-world experiences relating to building construction. Covering building rehabilitation, building diagnostics, service-life prediction and life-cycles, and hygrothermal behaviour, it bridges the gap between current approaches to the surveying of buildings and the detailed study of defect diagnosis, prognosis and remediation. The book features several case studies on building pathologies as well as a detailed set of references and suggestions for further reading. Offering a systematic review of the current state of knowledge, it is a valuable resource for scientists, students, practitioners, and lecturers in various scientific and engineering disciplines, including civil and materials engineering, as well as and other interested parties.

With its wide spectrum of data, case studies, monitoring, and experimental and numerical simulation techniques, the multidisciplinary approach of material, environmental, and computer science applied to the conservation of cultural heritage offers several opportunities for the heritage science and conservation community to map and monitor state-of-the-art knowledge on natural and human-induced climate change impacts on cultural heritage—mainly constituted by the built environment—in Europe and Latin America. Geosciences’ Special Issue titled “Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Resources Threatened by Climate Change” was launched to take stock of the existing but still fragmentary knowledge on this challenge, and to enable the community to respond to the implementation of the Paris agreement. These 10 papers exploit a broad range of data derived from preventive conservation monitoring conducted indoors in museums, churches, historical buildings, or outdoors in archeological sites and city centers. Case studies presented in the papers focus on a well-assorted sample of decay phenomena occurring on heritage materials (e.g., surface recession and biomass accumulation on limestone, depositions of pollutant on marble, salt weathering on inorganic building materials, and weathering processes on mortars in many local- to regional-scale study areas in the Scandinavian Peninsula, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, and Panama). Besides monitoring, the methodological approaches showcased include, but are not limited to, original material characterization, decay product characterization, and climate and numerical modelling on material components for assessing environmental impact and climate change effects.

This book provides a holistic perspective on the sustainable conservation of heritage buildings through outlining the factors that influence the preservation, operational performance and maintainability of heritage buildings and the application of new methodologies and technologies. Using real cases from Egypt, a country which comprises a vast number of unique heritage structures, each of which is deteriorating at its own pace, this book presents a systematic, data-based approach to manage aging and deteriorating heritage assets in a cost-effective way. The authors initially provide an overview and history of conservation and maintenance work as well as the current codes and standards that regulate the preservation of these buildings. Further chapters then cover: The technology used to digitally document heritage buildings, including LIDAR, photogrammetry, Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM), and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies Introducing a Maintainability Index of Heritage Buildings (MIHB) to support the decision-making and prioritization process for the maintenance of heritage buildings The adaptive reuse of heritage buildings Modelling embodied and operational energy performance Using Chatbot and Blockchain technology to support the management and preservation of heritage buildings Ultimately, this book presents a useful tool for use in heritage management and highlights how the reusability of heritage buildings is critical to the creation and survival of sustainable communities. It will be useful reading for researchers, architects, engineers and especially those involved in the management of heritage buildings.

The modern structural health monitoring (SHM) paradigm of transforming in situ, real-time data acquisition into actionable decisions regarding structural performance, health state, maintenance, or life cycle assessment has been accelerated by the rapid growth of “big data” availability and advanced data science. Such data availability coupled with a wide variety of machine learning and data analytics techniques have led to rapid advancement of how SHM is executed, enabling increased transformation from research to practice. This book intends to present a representative collection of such data science advancements used for SHM applications, providing an important contribution for civil engineers, researchers, and practitioners around the world.

By presenting the work of the RILEM Technical Committee 245-RTE, the book provides an overview of the existing techniques for the reinforcement of timber elements, joints and structures. It consists of two parts: part I examines state-of-the-art information on reinforcement techniques, summarizes the current status of standardization, and covers STS, GiR, FRP and nanotechnology. In part II several applications of reinforcement are discussed: these include traditional structures, traditional timber frame walls, light-frame shear walls, roofs, floors, and carpentry joints. The book will benefit academics, practitioners, industry and standardization committees interested in the reinforcement of existing timber elements, joints and structures.