Chapter 2- Agencies Causing Deterioration (Sources, Causes, Effects)

DEFINITION OF DETERIORATION

Deterioration means that the condition of a structure or a building or its components has
degenerated or has become unusable. Deterioration of building or its components, if allowed
to occur may result in complete decomposition where replacement becomes the only solution.
Deterioration is nothing but gradual disintegration on account of any destructive action from
aggressive external agents and relative movements of components. The rate of deterioration of
building varies with resistance of the materials used.

All the materials deteriorate with age either due to weathering action or other factors such as
poor selection of materials, the human ignorance, vandalism and biological agencies. For
successful design of buildings and maintenance policies, it is essential to understand the
agencies causing deterioration.

There are several ways in which mechanism of deterioration sets up. One is the external
environment to which structure is exposed and second is internal causes within the material.
The process of deterioration can be classified as :

(a) Mechanical: Wear and tear Fatigue, impact, or over loading

(b) Physical : Thermal change, Volume change, Deformation of shape Freezing & thawing

(c) Chemical : Reaction of aggressive substances, harmful chemicals present, corrosion

(d) Biological : Bacteriological growth

FACTORS CAUSING DETERIORATION, THEIR CLASSIFICATION

The various factors responsible for initiation of the process of deterioration are:

1. Human aspects
2. Chemical factors
3. Environmental aspects
4. Fire hazards
5. Furring
6. Other Factors
Human aspects

(1) Lack of Maintenance: The effects of deterioration be minimized or slowed down by

taking the corrective actions, at appropriate time by the persons responsible for
maintenance of structure. Deterioration occurs due to lack of appropriate maintenance
culture on the part of the maintenance. The deterioration may also be enhanced due to
following human factors:

 Failure to carry out routine maintenance, well in time

 Lack of knowledge about factors causing deterioration
 lack of sharing of responsibilities, and accountability, towards maintenance
 poor security leading to misuse
 Lack of awareness of maintenance needs among the users
 using casual approach to repairs,

(2) Occupants Misuse Buildings: Lack of security, lack of awareness among occupant’s and
failure to repair the areas damaged by misuse are some of the causes which become
sources of further deterioration in structures.

Chemical factors
Factors Interaction of certain materials with surrounding environment is one of the main factors
of deterioration. The critical chemical factor in the context of deterioration is that of corrosion.

Corrosion occurs in several forms:

(i) Local corrosion (called pitting of surface) limited to particular area.

(ii) General corrosion where whole surface is attacked.

Environmental Aspects

It refer to exposure of building components with atmospheric agencies, such as, air, rain,
moisture, gases, radiation and surrounding soil. Environment generally results in weathering, it
is the process of decomposition caused by components of weather, such as, radiation, rain,
snow, hail, wind, gases and contaminants of air. Biological agencies, ground water and salts also
affect the durability of materials, components and parts of the building. The various
environmental factors causing deterioration are.
  Solar Radiation: Most building materials absorb the solar radiation, depending
upon the nature and colour of the surface. The absorption by some materials can
lead to degradation, in particular, of plastics, paints and bitumen based
materials.
 Temperature Effects: Temperature changes cause dir materials, particularly
when the coefficient of expansion is these changes causes stresses which can
exceed the strength of some materials and results in rupture and failure.
 Moisture: Moisture in solid, liquid or vapour form ca agent causing deterioration.
It is always present in atmosphere and when surface temperature falls,
condensation can occur. It can cause excessive damage. Water frozen in the
pores of material can cause cracking or disintegration.
 Biological Agencies: Many construction materials like concrete, bricks, and
timber get affected by biological agencies, such as, algae, moss, etc.
 Gaseous Constituents and Pollutants of Air: Sulphur dioxide is the most
aggressive gaseous pollutant and can promote corrosion of some metals and
cause some stones to blister and to spall. Carbon dioxide also forms a weak acid
capable of slowly eroding lime stone.
 Solid Contaminants: The dirt from the atmosphere causes adverse effect on the
buildings.
 Ground Salts and Waters: Salts present in the ground, can rise with water and by
capillarity in porous materials. On subsequent evaporation of solvent, salts
remain deposited on the surface which can damage the buildings.

Fire hazards
Fire, if not controlled, can be hazardous to both the building and the occupants. Building
components and elements should be tested to establish their degree of fire resistance, which is
usually measured in hours or parts of hours.

Furring
Furring is the depositing of mineral scale in vessels and pipes in which lime and magnesium
bearing water is heated or conveyed. This type of deterioration affects building services, such
as, water supply. It makes pipe/vessels poor conductor of heat.

Other Factors

 Faulty design
 Faulty construction
 Faulty materials
 Faulty system of maintenance
 Inappropriate cleaning
  Misuse of building

EFFECT OF DETERIORATION OF MATERIALS

It is necessary to understand the effects of various agencies causing deterioration of building
materials to take proper protection against these agencies. The choice of material is governed by
its:

(1) Ability to withstand the effect of climate;

(2) Ability to fulfil the designed functions
(3) Reaction with surrounding material;
(4) Ease of maintenance and/or replacement;
(5) Overall economic acceptability.

The effect of various agencies of deterioration on major materials are:

1. Bricks and Clay Products Clay products: Generally all bricks and clay products have
good durability. Most common effect of weathering these products is change in
appearance. Usually these materials give a dry look. The most common form of
crystallization of soluble salts in the context of clay products and brickwork is of
efflorescence. Efflorescence is white surface deposit of salts in the form of loose powder
and but it causes disfiguring. If the soluble salts crystallize inside the body of brickwork
instead of on the surface, the expansion can cause spalling/breaking of the external
layer

2. Timber and Timber Products: Timber is a term used for wood of sufficient size for
commercial purposes. Knots, shakes and too many edges are the main defects of natural
timber and can be eliminated during the process of conversion into scantling sizes.
Timber for all purposes is a long lasting material and will not normally deteriorate
unless attacked by fungi, insects or fire. Timber decays as a result of destructive action
of fungi growth like dry rot (requires 20% moisture content) and Wet rot (requires 20%
moisture content). Insect infestation can also weaken and destroy timber in building. Use
of timber in external situations could lead very quickly to an advanced state of
deterioration.

3. Concrete: The resistance of concrete to deterioration is dependent on the quality of

ingredients used, the mix design and concreting operations viz. mixing, compacting,
curing, etc. The effectiveness of concrete cover largely depends on environment and its
impermeability qualities.

The corrosion of reinforcement could be accompanied by expansion of metal which in

turn could result in spalling cracking.
 Chemical attack on concrete results in breakdown of the mix which is usually due to
sulphates of calcium and magnesium.

Concrete also expands and contracts with changes in temperature. Expansion of concrete
can cause cracks.

Other factors which affect its appearance are staining and fungus growth at the surface.

 Staining: Running water in contact with the surface carries dirt or impurities. This results
in series of streaks due to water drying out before it reaches its discharge end. Staining is
very often a result of poor drainage and detailing.
 Surface Growth: These largely consist of algae, lichens and mosses which a green or
brown in colour. They can be killed by using chemical/toxic washes.
 Alkali-aggregate Reaction: Some forms of silica found in aggregates in the presence of
water react with alkalis produced from cement hydration and may result in expansion and
subsequent damage to concrete.
 Freezing and Thawing: Water freezing within the pores of concrete can cause
disintegration due to increase in volume of ice.
 Sub-soil Salt Attack: Water soluble sulphates in soil can result in concrete expansion
spalling and disintegration.

4. Paints: Paint is one of the most vulnerable building material and it needs regular
maintenance. Defects in paint usually arise from one of following three causes:

 Incorrect selection:
 Application to damp surfaces
 Poor workmanship

The deterioration of paint may be visual or a breakdown of the material itself. A loss of or loss of
gloss is the first visible sign of If weathering is allowed to paint film will eventually become
brittle, resulting in loss of bond and cracking paint film

5. Asphalt and Bitumen: Bituminous based materials have a very long natural life, but this
can be affected by sunlight, acids, and by impact. When asphalt and bitumen are exposed
to light and heat, oxidation occurs. This results in slow hardening of material, giving rise
to cracking through thermal movements. When set, mastic asphalt is brittle and can
therefore be easily damaged by impact loading.
 6. Metals: Steel, aluminium, copper, lead and zinc are the metals most commonly used in
buildings.

7. Plastics

(* Read and write about the effect of deterioration on metals and plastics)

8. Natural Stones Natural stones are classified as belonging to one of the three main groups

Igneous: formed by solidification and modification of a molten magma

Sedimentary: formed from particles produced from older rocks by the normal
processes of weathering, accumulation of skeletons (usually marine organisms)
and by chemical deposition
Metamorphic: formed when rocks are subjected to high heat, high pressure, hot
mineral-rich fluids Igneous rocks are

The atmospheric pollution causes deterioration of stones. Sulphuric gases dissolved in rainwater
react with calcium carbonate to form calcium sulphate. When this crystallizes under dry
conditions, it generates a stress which causes disintegration. If wetting and drying are frequent
due to rainfall, the surface of the stone gets slowly eroded as the calcium sulphate gets
continually removed. When the skin eventually blisters and breaks off, it pulls away limestones
with it. Dissolved sulphuric gases in rain water can also weaken the bonding of calcium carbonate
in calcareous sandstones and severely weaken the stone.