Analysis of the Frost‐Induced Damage of Building Enclosures on the Territory of the Czech Republic

Abstract

A comprehensive analysis of environmental loads across the Czech Republic in terms of frost-induced damage is presented. Computational simulation of hygrothermal performance of eleven characteristic types of building envelopes, composed of both contemporary and historical materials, is performed at first. The exterior boundary conditions of the computational model are defined by a set of weather data characterizing the environmental conditions in the Czech Republic, which are acquired from 64 weather stations. The results of hygrothermal simulations are assessed using several specific damage functions. In this way, the basic datasets for the frost damage analysis are obtained. Their application as input parameters of a specially developed correction procedure based on elevation makes them possible to obtain a continuous coverage of the geographic area of the Czech Republic. Finally, isopleths of the supposed frost damage are drawn, depending on the envelope type, and damage maps are produced which may help the engineers to enhance the building envelope design process. The presented results indicate the necessity of paying attention to local environmental loads in the building enclosure design process and reveal both critical and favorable locations from the point of view of frost-induced damage to buildings.

Common Defects of Prefabricated Prestressed Elements for Industrial Construction

“…The use of high-quality concrete in prefabrication usually avoids these problems. However, contractors forget that installation in winter conditions involves several specific dangers, especially in northern countries or mountain regions with longer periods of negative temperatures [45]. Prestressed concrete elements often have openings or large voids where water can accumulate.…”

Quantification of the Environmental Effects of Freezing and Thawing in the Yalong River Basin

“…There is no unified standard for the occurrence of freezing and thawing of concrete. J Kočí [6] believes that it takes at least two hours for a building to freeze and at least two hours for it to thaw, so that a freeze-thaw cycle can be formed. Li Xuefeng will be the highest temperature in a day above zero degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature below zero degrees Celsius as a positive and negative temperature alternation, taking into account the internal concrete void moisture freezing temperature in the -3 ℃ ~ -5℃ [7][8][9], to 0℃, -3℃, -5℃ as the minimum temperature of the upper limit, and count the number of positive and negative temperature alternation.…”

Influence of Frost Damage on Performance of Engineered Cementitious Composites

“…The frost damage is a main factor causing concrete deterioration in cold 'high latitude areas', such as Northern China, Sweden, Norway, Russia, and Canada. Frost damage will greatly shorten the service life of concrete structures (Boubitsas et al 2018;Wang et al 2019;Zhang et al 2018Zhang et al , 2019Khashayar et al 2018;Khayat et al 2005;Kočí et al 2018;Luo et al 2017;Strand 2018). Although the ECC exhibits the tensile strain hardening and multi-cracking characteristics, for the design and maintenance of buildings in the areas with freezethaw exposure, whether its performance is superior under freezing and thawing conditions is also a concerning the areas with freeze-thaw exposure.…”