Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
5.6.12 Through-life care and maintenance
considerations
If the structure is to meet the defined performance requirements it
is necessary to ensure that the structure is being used in a way that
is compatible with the design intent and that inspection, mainten-
ance, repair and replacement are conducted in accordance with
the plans developed under the detailed design stage. End of life
decisions, such as the implications of obsolescence, possible
changes of use and the loss of fitness for purpose must also be
addressed. These issues influence the design and so must also
be considered as part of the owner brief and conceptual design.
5.7 Concluding remarks - Future challenges and
opportunities
5.7.1 Introduction
There are many developments that may potentially have an
influence in the coming years upon durability issues, service life
design and matters related to the through-life performance and
care of constructed assets. Whilst it is not possible to give a com-
prehensive overview of these, the topics include items such as:
Moves towards a low carbon future.
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The wider adoption of building information modelling (BIM).
Influence of climate change - a future need to adapt buildings.
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5.6.13 Birth and Re-birth certificate documentation
The concepts of 'Birth certificate' and 'Re-birth certificate' can
be applied to structures and various forms of constructed assets.
The following definitions for these concepts are adapted from
those given in
ib
Bulletin 44 (
ib
, 2008) for concrete structures:
Improved scientific understanding of deterioration processes.
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Developments in materials.
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Life-cycle cost optimisation to reduce overall through-life cost.
■
■
Life-cycle environmental impacts and sustainability conside-
rations.
Developments in codes and standards for design and execution of
Birth certificate'
: A document, report or technical file (depending
on the size and complexity of the structure concerned) containing
engineering information formally defining the form and the con-
dition of the structure after construction. The document/report
should provide specific details on parameters important to the
durability and service life of the structure concerned (e.g. for a
concrete structure - cover to reinforcement, concrete permeabil-
ity, environmental conditions, quality of workmanship achieved,
etc.) and the basis upon which future knowledge of through-life
performance should be recorded. This framework should provide
a means of comparing actual behaviour/performance with that
anticipated at the time of design of the structure. The document/
report should facilitate ongoing (through-life) evaluation of the
service life which is likely to be achieved by the structure.
Re-birth certificate'
: Similar to the 'Birth certificate' for a struc-
ture, but relates to the information and circumstances associated
with a project for the repair/remediation/refurbishment of the
structure or a part thereof to extend its anticipated service life.
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constructed assets.
Process changes, such as more emphasis on factory production of
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building elements.
Perhaps the most important of these potential influences are the
first three listed; these are discussed in more detail below to illus-
trate some aspects of their potential impacts. A number of the other
topics have been considered previously in the document text.
5.7.2 Moves towards a low carbon future
Along with others, the construction industry is subject to a
range of influential drivers pushing it and the UK and world
economy towards a low carbon future.
As a result the construction industry faces profound chal-
lenges to meet the desired improvement in the standards of new
building in response to climate change and related issues. UK
examples of these drivers of change include evolving regula-
tory requirements, such as the UK Climate Change Act which
has enshrined in law a commitment that the UK will achieve a
26% reduction in overall CO
2
emissions by 2020 and an 80%
reduction by 2050. These are challenging targets. Associated
drivers introduced by the UK government which are influen-
cing the UK construction industry include:
Thus a 'Birth certificate' could act as a basic element of a pre-
dictive life-cycle management system for an asset. Adoption of
this concept would provide improved knowledge of current and
future condition states of a structure, which could give a basis
for the assessment of future structural resistance for known or
anticipated environmental loadings by the use of appropriate
deterioration models. The evaluations would be undertaken as
required in combination with (a) material testing to establish
relevant material properties during the compliance stage verifica-
tion and (b) non-destructive test methods during acceptance test-
ing after completion of the structure. The approach would allow
optimisation of structural resistance during design, the review/
improvement of the condition prognosis for the structure based
upon Bayesian updating using material and performance data
gathered from the final structure (the completed works), as well
as the use of focused preventive or remedial interventions where
this was necessary.
The introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes (DCLG,
■
2008).
An ongoing requirement to reduce energy usage and measures
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to raise awareness of energy usage, e.g. the current evolution in
Part L of the UK Building Regulations, a well as the introduction
of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy
Certificates (DECs).
Future objectives include the construction of 'zero' operational
carbon residential buildings after 2016 and for other new
