Failure probability of external wall tiling systems: An empirical study of weathering impacts

Abstract

Purpose - Tile finishes are very commonly used in external walls of buildings. However, the ageing process of the tile system is very seldom studied, which makes maintenance scheduling on external wall finishes impossible. The paper aims to contend that weathering exposure is one of the main accelerators of delamination. This paper seeks to test empirically the effects of orientation and shading on the probability of wall tile delamination. Design/methodology/approach - This paper analyses the weathering effects, including orientation and shading, on thepercentage of deliminated areas of the external wall tiles by regression in a large estate in Hong Kong. Wall tile delamination data are collected from ten blocks of a high-rise housing estate in Hong Kong, multiple linear regression is used to analyse the effects of orientation and shading on the probability of failure of the wall tiling systems. Findings - The results of this paper indicate the effects of orientation and shading on the proportion of delamination of the external wall tile finishes. Research limitations/implications - The results agree with our contention that shaded areas are found to have lower rate of delamination, while north-west and exposed façades are found with serious delamination. The results have great implications on maintenance scheduling for external wall tile finishes. Exposed areas receiving intensive thermal and moisture cycles are found to have significantly higher probability of failure. The study is limited by the small number of samples. Practical implications - The results provide a set of data on the probability of failure of external wall tiling systems, for further ageing and durability analyses of external wall tiling systems. The findings are also of importance to designers and property managers for choosing external wall finishes and shading devices; and for maintaining external wall tile finishes. Originality/value - This paper is the first study on the probability of failure and weathering impacts on external wall tiling systems. It is also the first attempt to achieve the objectives by means of empirical evidence.