Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
are carried away by the “first flush,” usually considered to be the
first 1-1/2” to 2” of rainfall, are trapped in retention ponds and
structures and can be periodically removed. Second, all remaining
rainfall, rather than being released immediately can be held and re-
leased over several days, reducing the damage to streams.
Sustainable Building Risks and Maintenance Requirements
The main design objectives for “sustainability” in buildings are to
avoid resource depletion (energy, water, and raw materials); prevent en-
vironmental degradation caused by facilities and infrastructure through-
out their life cycle; and create facilities that are livable, comfortable, safe,
and productive. However, the design and construction of sustainable fa-
cilities may involve the use of new, untested materials or the use of con-
ventional materials in a new way. Since it is unrealistic to expect design-
ers and contractors to have a complete understanding of the performance
characteristics and limitations of new products, it is almost a “given”
that sustainable design can create maintenance problems, ranging from
shorter service life to moisture problems and mold infestation. Areas of
concern include the following:
•
Natural building materials may not have the needed service life for
the application. For example, bamboo flooring has a service life of
7-12 years in residential applications, which is quite satisfactory, but
only 3-4 years in a high traffic commercial applications, which im-
poses a significant maintenance requirement.
•
Recycled materials and materials with high bio-based content may
have more moisture issues and potential mold problems.
•
Application failure will result in more than maintenance problems.
For example, hay bale construction requires that wall materials be
protected by a perfect water barrier since the more conventional
layered approach is not possible—and there is no such thing as a
perfect water barrier!
Maintenanceprogramsandproceduresmustbedevelopedtoanticipate
thesepotentialproblemsasmuchaspossible,buttheseprogramsandprocedures
mustalsoincluderoutinetestingandperformanceevaluationsothatanyprob-
lemsthatdooccuraredetectedandcorrectedasearlyaspossible.
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