Overview of Durability and Methods of Service Life Prediction for Building Adhesive and Sealant Products

Abstract

Jointing and sealant products play an important role in maintaining the weathertightness of buildings. Despite being relatively inexpensive, in respect to the overall cost of a building, they help minimize water penetration into and air movement across the building envelope. As such, sealant failures can result in undue air and moisture transfer across the building envelope, a loss of energy efficiency, and, given moisture ingress to the building envelope, the degradation of materials and components therein. To avoid serious degradation of building components and possible damage to the structural integrity of buildings as well as the potential significant and costly consequences of sealant failure, it is important to understand the underlying reasons for the degradation of adhesive and sealant products that, in turn, permit predicting their life expectancy. In this paper, a review is provided on advances in the durability, service life, and service life prediction (SLP) of sealants and adhesives in the building domain over the past decade. In this overview, emphasis is placed on work derived from relevant technical committees, together with symposia and conferences focused on the SLP of polymer materials. The information serves both as a primer on the topic and an update on previous contributions in this area. Examples of current trends in SLP are presented, along with expectations for future research.