Estimating the Service Life of Exterior Stone Claddings Subjected to Regular and Marine Service Conditions

Abstract

The attractiveness and durability of stone claddings make them a common exterior finish. However, comparative research of the performance of long-lasting “dry fixed” stone claddings and those made using the “wet fixed” method has not yet been carried out. The objectives of this study are to (1) characterize the deterioration patterns of exterior dry- and wet-fixed stone claddings exposed to normal and marine environments; (2) evaluate the life expectancy limiting coefficient (modifying factors), and (3) quantify the influence of a marine environment on both cladding methods. The research methods integrate laboratory tests with the field survey and probabilistic service life prediction methods. The results of laboratory tests indicate that the compliance of the stone with the requirements of the standard does not assure the durability of the stone when used as an exterior cladding material in a marine environment. The findings of the probabilistic methods show that, in both normal and marine environment service conditions, the fixing method has a significant impact on the rate of the stone deterioration process and the long-term durability of dry-fixed stone claddings.

Service Life Prediction and Life Cycle Costs of Light Weight Partitions

“…This section presents several key findings: Predicting the service life of building components is a subject that has aroused considerable interest in the fields of construction and civil engineering. Previous studies have explored different materials, environmental conditions, and maintenance strategies to estimate the longevity of building components [6,39,41], clearly contrasting with this research, which considers initial conditions, failure mechanisms, and cumulative impact. More-over, this research recognizes that occupant behaviors can significantly influence partition durability, and also defines and presents the impacts of various occupancy conditions.…”

“…The research methodology assesses the performance of interior residential building components by using a standardized performance scale, identifying failure mechanisms that impact performance and developing deterioration pattern curves to predict the life cycle expectancy in standard and various failure conditions. This approach is based on the methodology presented by [5,6,40], which estimates building component life expectancy, and predicts ongoing performance based on physical and visual conditions while providing a systematic survey of failures at a given age. Deterioration patterns are central to this methodology, as they reflect typical degradation mechanisms, enabling statistical data analysis to determine each component's predicted life cycle expectancy.…”

“…A recent study by Wasserman et al examines the deterioration patterns and life expectancy of exterior stone claddings, comparing dry-fixed and wet-fixed methods in both standard and marine environments. This study incorporated laboratory tests, field surveys, and probabilistic service life prediction methods, leading to statistical prediction of exterior stone cladding service life [6]. Furthermore, a study by [7] found that different mineral admixtures significantly influence the concrete's durability and can increase its life cycle expectancy.…”

Decision support system (DSS) for facilities rehabilitation and management (part 2): development of optimized intervention strategy

“…The study addressed the lack of historical data by applying linear deterioration for the case study rather than using the application of regression analysis, artificial neural networks or any other decision-support techniques. (Forman, 2001; Saaty and Vargas, 2001; Koç and Burhan, 2015; Wasserman et al , 2023). Other studies used photo images to detect deterioration levels through artificial networks (Mostafa et al , 2023) for an individual building system such as roof, while this study relied on physical and visual inspections on site for a specific type of facilities such as the mosques.…”

“…The fuzzy set for each asset, unfolding the condition of such, specifying the boundary values of the allowable levels of service. Wasserman et al (2023) provided a study for the prediction of condition rating of stone cladding, stating the necessity of the development of service life prediction models for stone claddings based on condition evaluations revealed non-linear patterns. The authors have used laboratory tests specimen in their study and developed a probabilistic method for service life prediction in standard conditions and in intensive service conditions.…”