Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Building Pathology
Building Pathology
Building Pathology
• Biotic (biological)
• Abiotic (non-biological).
b) SYMPTOM
•lose strength, develop cracks in brick-shape patterns
•dry and powdery that it can easily be crumbled in
the hand.
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
•Caused by a fungus that feeds on the cellulose found
mainly in sapwood (the outer layers of a growing tree).
•by certain fungi that deteriorate timber in buildings and other
wooden construction seemingly without an apparent source of
moisture.
d) REMEDIES
•removal of the moisture source, creating ventilation to make a dry
environment, diagnosis of fungal growth and the removal of
defective timber
•Dry rot normally requires chemical treatment and cutting out and
replacing the defective timber
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Insect or termite infection
b) SYMPTOM
Shelter Tubes - Termites build mud tubes to protect themselves
from dry air and sunlight as they travel from their underground
colony into your house.
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
• biological attack within the wood by certain species of fungi.
•Termites attack wood that live close to the ground and in damp
conditions
•Groans conducted by mushrooms can cause wood to rot
d) REMEDIES
•ensure the wood stays dry and treat with creosote oil
•Attack by fungi which attack wood can be overcome by having
good ventilation in the timber
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Timber decay
b) SYMPTOM
• damage to the wooden structures is more evident at the dampest
most part.
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
• Moisture from the ground can diffuse up through the floor diffuse
through roof and wall from leakage using inappropriate use of
components or materials
d) REMEDIES
•Rectifying the sources of dampness and bad ventilation
•All traces of decayed timber should then be removed
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Dampness
b) SYMPTOM
•Dark fungi spot at the timber
•Bad smell
•Rot at the bottom of the affection timber
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
• Water entering building through different routes.
d) REMEDIES
•Rectifying the sources of dampness and bad ventilation
•All traces of decayed timber should then be removed
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Mould Fungi attack
•Grow in the interior of the wood or appear on wood surfaces as
fan-shaped patches of fine, threadlike, cottony growths or as root
like shapes
b) SYMPTOM
• The color of these growths may range from white through light
brown, bright yellow and dark brown.
•The spore-producing bodies may be mushrooms, shelf-like
brackets or structures with a flattened, crust-like appearance.
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
•caused by very small organisms called fungi.
•Deadwood conks and mushrooms are visible examples of the
fruiting bodies of fungi from which reproductive spores are
produced and disseminated
d)REMEDIES
•Protective Treatments. Timber can be treated for wood decay
fungi with specialised products. Waterproofing treatments can also
be applied that can provide long term protection.
•Subfloor Ventilation. Ventilation can provide good reduction in
atmospheric moisture levels in subfloor areas
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Sagging and Bending
The Glossary of Building Terms, SAA FIB 50 describes
'deformation' as a change of shape of a structural member or
structure, resulting from the applications of load(s).
b) SYMPTOM
•Wood frame are wet due to sagging and leakage at roof
•The sagging and bending floor are clearly seen.
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
• Under-design of wall framing through use of under-sized or
under-specified structural timbers
•Overloading the wall
•Foundation movement with failure of walling, piers and stumps or
posts to bearer level due to differential movements of supports on
expansive soils or foundation failure
•Wind damage
•Timber pest damage with weakened structural timbers unable to
support normal loading
d) REMEDIES
•Rectifying the timber as soon as possible
•Remove the loading inside the building
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Distorted
• In the building industry a lack of straightness will obstruct the
building process at the building site
b) SYMPTOM
•Distorted in window frame
•Distorted in door frame
•Distorted in wood frames and connectors
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
• the load is not evenly distribute
•Improper installation
•Due to change of weather hot and cold
•No lintel
•Joist beam switch
d) REMEDIES
•Removes the loading material from the building
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Defect due to marine borers
Timber may in certain circumstances be attacked by various wood-
boring insects, which differ in their choice of species and condition
of the wood- from standing trees to woodwork which has been in
service for many years.
b) SYMPTOM
•a number of fungi are capable of attacking wood in fresh and salt
water, as long as the water is sufficiently
•The colour of the wood change
•Bad odour
•Dimension change –shrinkage
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
•wood absorbs moisture more rapidly than sound wood,
presumably because the boreholes in the cell walls made by the
hyphen allow for more rapid entry of water.
•When the dissolved oxygen content of water becomes low, fungal
growth is inhibited but bacterial activity is promoted. rated
d) REMEDIES
• can be controlled by dual treatment of the wood using copper-
containing salts followed by coal-tar creosote.
•Apply insect treatment to the infected wood
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Chemical Stain
•When discolorations produced by fungi, wood is also subject to
certain other stains that result from chemical changes in wood cell
walls
b) SYMPTOM
•Such stains are found in both softwoods and hardwoods.
•brown stains to yellow to dark-brown discolorations
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
• cause by enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation of certain organic
compounds largely confined to sapwood
d) REMEDIES
•Controlling air moisture levels and minimizing condensation.
•This includes proper site drainage and damprpoofing, and use of
soil covers, vapour retarders, insulation and ventilation as ambient
Conditions
TYPE OF DEFECT (cont`d)
a) DESCRIPTION
Due to weather
b) SYMPTOM
•Timber suffers from cupping, warping, grain raising, checking,
splitting, swelling and splintering.
c) POSSIBLE CAUSES
• Cause the wood to cracking
•Cause the wood to warping
•Causes roughening of the surface, checking, splitting and wood
cell erosion.
•Movement of moisture into and out of the timber on a regular
basis which does occur to untreated timber, sunlight also
contributes.
d) REMEDIES
•A water-repellent preservative is recommended to minimize
weathering, shrinking and swelling
4.0 CONCLUSION