Building facade failures

Building facades serve mainly to protect occupants and contents from the elements. Failure of the building envelope (i.e. walls, roof and windows) to function as intended usually has a significant impact on the serviceability of the building. Roofs and windows periodically fail and are replaced; however, the building facade is expected to endure the forces of nature for the service life of the building. The increasing complexity of modern buildings, combined with decreasing tolerance for undesirable performance of building systems, has resulted in an ever increasing frequency of building facade failures. This paper addresses common serviceability and performance problems associated with various types of building facades. Methods and tools useful for investigation of facade failures are discussed. The paper is not intended to be a comprehensive guide for the forensic investigator, but is offered as an aid to help recognise symptoms and evaluate conditions that underlie common building facade failures. The types of building facades and investigation methods discussed in this paper are primarily based on the author’s experience within the USA.