The various types of failure in construction work are1) Functional failure
2) Structural failure
3) Aesthetic failure
4) Economic failure
5) Progressive failure
6) Non-progressive failure
1. FUNCTIONAL FAILURE
This is a condition that renders a component unsuitable or unusable for its intended purpose. The functional failure of a mechanical piece of equipment resulting from a manufacturing defect often requires immediate correction.
2. STRUCTURAL FAILURE
This failure is a breakdown in one or more components of the structural system. Such failures include common concrete cracking which may or may not be of any consequence, depending upon the degree of the failure. In addition, structural failures do not always require correction, and, in the context of construction defect claims and litigation, a structural failure without some functional failure or impairment is of limited value. On the other hand, the failure of structural steel connection caused by a design defect could be catastrophic and demands immediate attention.
3. AESTHETIC FAILURE
A condition that renders a component unsightly, significantly detracting from its appearance, can be described as an aesthetic failure. Economic consequences often accompany aesthetic failures such as masonry effervescence, although they may be subjective and difficult to quantify.
4. ECONOMIC FAILURE
This is a condition that results in economic loss or the need to expend unplanned or unnecessary monies to keep a structure, component or system in order. The loss could take the form of excessive maintenance, shortened useful life or added repairs. The installation of improper bearings in an engine can result in the economic failure of the equipment.
5. PROGRESSIVE FAILURE
This is a failure is one that is likely to worsen over time. In the legal and insurance fields, a progressive failure that is the basis of a defective work claim is often described as a “continuous loss.” Defects such as expansive soils under a basement slab can cause structural and progressive slab failure and may need to be corrected as soon as possible.
6. NON-PROGRESSIVE FAILURE
A non-progressive failure or condition is one that is not likely to deteriorate. Generally, the non-progressive failure of an under-specified component such as building insulation can result from design or construction defects that often do not need to be remediated.
CONCLUSION
In analyzing construction defects, the parties often identify the specific type of failure(s) at issue to gain a full understanding of the potential ramifications of each problem. If this information is not offered by experts in their analysis, then it should be developed through inquiry. Theoretically, a functional, structural, aesthetic or economic failure could be either progressive or non-progressive. In general, all defects and failures can be categorized according to the above types.
Causes of failure in building
Many decisions in design are based on engineering judgment, but not only on the understanding of theory or any computational tools. Even experience in extensive design in academic context can provide only limited perspective in engineering decision making. Most lessons in engineering decision making come from the cases of histories of failures of structures, which itself are the results of a bad judgment, thus making us understand the pitfalls in conceptual design.
From these experiences from past, the common causes of structural failures are understood.
(1) Poor communication between the various design professionals involved, e.g. engineers involved in conceptual design and those involved in the supervision of execution of works.
(2) Poor communication between the fabricators and erectors.
(3) Bad workmanship, which is often the result of failure to communicate the design decisions to the persons, involved in executing them.
(4) Compromises in professional ethics and failure to appreciate the responsibility of the profession to the community at large could also result in catastrophic failures.
(5) Lack of appropriate professional design and construction experience, especially when novel structures are needed.
(6) Complexity of codes and specifications leading to misinterpretation and misapplication.
(7) Unwarranted belief in calculations and in specified extreme loads and properties.
(8) Inadequate preparation and review of contract and shop drawings.
(9) Poor training of field inspectors.
(10) Compressed design and/or construction time.
Creating sustainable buildings starts with proper site selection, including consideration of the reuse or rehabilitation of existing buildings. The location, orientation, and landscaping of a building affect local ecosystems, transportation methods, and energy use. It is important to incorporate smart growth principles into the project development process, whether the project is a single building, campus, or military base. Siting for physical security is a critical issue in optimizing site design, including locations of access roads, parking, vehicle barriers, and perimeter lighting. Whether designing a new building or retrofitting an existing building, site design must integrate with sustainable design to achieve a successful project. The site of a sustainable building should reduce, control, and/or treat storm water runoff. If possible, strive to support native flora and fauna of the region in the landscape design.
With continually increasing demand on the world’s fossil fuel resources, concerns for energy independence and security are increasing, and the impacts of global climate change are becoming more evident, it is essential to find ways to reduce energy load, increase efficiency, and maximize the use of renewable energy sources in federal facilities. Improving the energy performance of existing buildings is important to increasing our energy independence. Government and private sector organizations are increasingly committing to building and operating net zero energy buildings as a way to significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuel-derived energy.
In many parts of the United States, fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource. A sustainable building should use water efficiently, and reuse or recycle water for on-site use, when feasible. The effort to bring drinkable water to our household faucets consumes enormous energy resources in pumping, transport, and treatment. Often potentially toxic chemicals are used to make water potable. The environmental and financial costs of sewage treatment are significant.
While the world population continues to grow (to over 9 billion by 2050), natural resource use will continue to increase and the demand for additional goods and services will continue to stress available resources. It is critical to achieve an integrated and intelligent use of materials that maximizes their value, prevents upstream pollution, and conserves resources. A sustainable building is designed and operated to use and reuse materials in the most productive and sustainable way across its entire life cycle and is adaptable for reuse during its life cycle. The materials used in a sustainable building minimize life-cycle environmental impacts such as global warming, resource depletion, and human toxicity. Environmentally preferable materials have a reduced effect on human health and the environment and contribute to improved worker safety and health, reduced liabilities, reduced disposal costs, and achievement of environmental goals.
The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a building has a significant impact on occupant health, comfort, and productivity. Among other attributes, a sustainable building maximizes daylighting, has appropriate ventilation and moisture control, optimizes acoustic performance, and avoids the use of materials with high-VOC emissions. Principles of IEQ also emphasize occupant control over systems such as lighting and temperature.
Considering a building’s operating and maintenance issues during the preliminary design phase of a facility will contribute to improved working environments, higher productivity, reduced energy and resource costs, and prevented system failures. Encourage building operators and maintenance personnel to participate in the design and development phases to ensure optimal operations and maintenance of the building. Designers can specify materials and systems that simplify and reduce maintenance requirements; require less water, energy, and toxic chemicals and cleaners to maintain; and are cost-effective and reduce life-cycle costs. Additionally, design facilities to include meters in order to track the progress of sustainability initiatives, including reductions in energy and water use and waste generation, in the facility and on site.
The Immediate Health of Building Occupants:
The health of patients, staff, and visitors is affected by the quality of indoor air, which in turn is dependent on a building’s physical and mechanical design (e.g. ventilation, air flow and pressure, location of wastes and toxins), choice of building materials, management of construction emissions, and building operations and maintenance. In addition, access to daylight has been found to favourably affect staff productivity and patient outcomes.
The Health of the Surrounding Community:
Local air and water quality is affected by building design choice for both new construction and renovation projects, off-gassing (release of chemicals into the air through evaporation, sometimes over a number of years) of building materials and finishes, fumes from construction equipment, and exhaust from HVAC systems can emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Components), particulates, and other materials into the air of the surrounding community that can contribute to formation of ground level ozone (Smog and induce allergic attacks, respiratory problems, and other illness.
The Health of the Larger Global Community and Natural Resources:
The health impact of a building stretches far beyond its immediate community. The production of building materials can release persistent bio-accumulative toxic compounds, carcinogens, endocrime disruptors, and other toxic substances. The compounds in these materials threaten not just the communities where they are manufactured; in fact, many of them potentially threaten the health of communities and ecosystems far from their place of manufacture and use because of their long life and disposal hazards.
Every use and associated greenhouse gas emission contribute to climate change. Climate change resulting from the burning of fossil fuels is expected to increased the spread of disease vectors far beyond their current regions, destabilize ecosystems, and ultimately, to threaten worldwide food supply and quality.
Reduce negative impacts on the environment, and the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance.
The basic objectives of sustainability are:
– To reduce consumption of non-renewable resources,
– To minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments.
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