Behaviour and Characteristics of Construction Materials Subjected to Different Environmental Conditions

Abstract

Through this research it is intended to catalogue different environmental scenarios taking into account extreme climatic actions and what is their mechanical, chemical and physical impact on the main materials used in construction (reinforced concrete, bricks, lime repair mortars, etc.). For this, a qualification of these material deterioration processes will be carried out after having done the data collection, the analysis of the different scenarios and a structural study. To move towards sustainability, where building is better described as a process than a product, a new integrated-design approach that accounts for durability is deemed to be essential. This approach will allow building assessment in a multi-performance perspective. The Sustainable Structural Design (SSD) methodology is presented based on environmental and structural performance parameters in a life-cycle approach. The concept of reuse is a sustainable perspective for extremely durable structures (ESD), new structures and existing structures. In this work we will focused in different building materials characteristics and their potential degradation under extreme events conditions. This work is framed in a research project of the National Plan of Spain, whose purpose is the development of a decision support system based on intelligent management tools for the maintenance of existing buildings and the design of new buildings, in order to extend its working life to cope with climate change and extreme events.