1 Scope

1.1 Design

This Standard provides criteria and requirements for the design of a durable building and its building elements. Designers will need to factor into their designs predicted environmental loads and action effects resulting from climate change.

Note: Provisions for operation, maintenance, repair and renovation of a building and its building elements are found in Annex I.

1.2 Building and building elements

This Standard applies to the building and to building elements that

a) are required to resist loads from the structure environment and the effects of those loads;

b) are exposed to exterior space or the ground;

c) separate interior space from exterior space or separate interior space from the ground; or

d) separate environmentally dissimilar interior spaces.

1.3 Inclusions

This Standard includes the following:

definitions for performance, failure, service life, and other concepts related to the durability of a building or building element;

fundamental durability requirements for the design of a new building and building elements;

criteria for the design for durability of a building and building elements, including requirements for design life, estimated service life, and predicted service life; criteria for construction processes that affect durability;

provisions for construction review; and

guidance on the use of this Standard to

i) select a design life for a building and building elements;

ii) determine an estimated service life or predicted service life;

iii) assess structure environments; and

iv) understand degradation mechanisms, such as predicted service life.

1.4 Usage

This Standard is intended to be used by owners, designers, and constructors working from design conception to building completion and handover.

The building durability plan is reflected in contract documents as assemblies and specifications. Constructor activities implement the plan by executing the contract documents.

1.5 Exclusions

The following are not within the scope of this Standard:

a) durability of mechanical systems, electrical systems, and services in buildings; and

b) durability of building finishes, except those providing a performance control function.

Notes:

Although the Standard does not specifically address mechanical systems, electrical systems, and services, such systems and services should be taken into account in an integrated design for durability of a building and building elements. Design for replacement and renewal is particularly important when the design life of the building exceeds the estimated service life or the predicted service life of building mechanical systems

The loads on a building and building elements that result from the operation of mechanical and electrical systems and services should be considered along with the structure environment and structural loads.

An example of a performance control function for a building finish would be a coating applied to a metallic building element that provides corrosion protection.

1.6 Warranty disclaimer

Determining the design life of a building or the predicted service life of a building element, execution of a design, or construction of the design under the auspices of this standard do not constitute either an implied or expressed warranty regarding the service life of the building or its elements.

The design life establishes a target performance level, and building elements are selected accordingly based on information available to designers and constructors at the time. Adhering to the procedures described in this Standard will optimize the likelihood of successfully matching the product to its performance requirements.

If warranties related to service life of buildings or building elements are requested by owners or operators of buildings, they may be sought specifically from product suppliers and installers at the time of construction, and paid for at the market rate. Design services provided according to this standard are not the equivalent of a warranty or guarantee.

1.7 Terminology

In this Standard, “shall” is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; “should” is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and “may” is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the Standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (nonmandatory) to define their application.