Durability and Surface Protection of Porous Materials and External Building Partitions

Dear Colleagues,

In buildings exposed to moisture and temperature change, accelerated processes of deterioration of materials and building partitions may occur. These can lead to biological and chemical corrosion and thus increase maintenance and operation costs. Physicochemical properties affect not only the durability of building materials, but also air quality, thermal comfort, and energy consumption. Due to the increase in thermal conductivity of the outer layers, heat losses may increase, influencing the heating demand of residential and public utility buildings.

In recent years, there has been a visible interest in the application of advanced surface protection measures. This includes both chemical protection, by means of hydrophobization, impregnation, painting, etc., and structural protection, thanks to the construction of external elements sheltering the buildings’ envelope from the environmental impacts.

As chemical protection, agents based on aliphatic hydrocarbons, methylsilicone resins, etc. are used quite often. Because anticorrosion protection of external walls is expensive, the selection of effective measures should be based on detailed laboratory tests. At the same time, we should strive to produce better, more effective, and more ecological surface protection substances.

Examples of structural protection may be rainscreen claddings, double-skin facades, glazed balconies, or loggias. They form barriers preventing the direct influence of rain, wind, urban noise, or temperature swings, and delaying the time of natural deterioration or destruction of elevation surface. In some cases, such elements form additional usable space (glazed conservatories), attractive to the inhabitants. They also lower energy demand in the adjacent heated area and reduce the heat losses through thermal bridges. These structures also need a conscious and thorough design, necessary to fully exploit their advantages and to avoid the risk of overheating in the living space during summer.

This Special Edition entitled “Durability and Surface Protection of Porous Materials and External Building Partitions” aims to publish original research enriching current knowledge on the durability of porous building materials surfaces and external building partitions.

Critical reviews are also welcome.

Topics include but are not limited to:

• Durability of building materials (e.g., chloride attack, sulfate attack, acid attack, carbonation, alkali–silica reaction, freeze/thaw, and biodegradation);
• New trends in the design of new hydrophobic agents, impregnations, anticorrosive agents for building materials, anti-graffiti agents, etc.;
• Methods of increasing the durability of building materials and external building partitions, facades;
• Protection against deterioration thanks to the shielding of the buildings’ envelope from the environmental impacts;
• Design of the glazed spaces including their effectiveness during the heating season and summer;
• Influence of thermal bridges on the durability of facades.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Danuta Barnat-Hunek
Dr. Magdalena Grudzińska
Guest Editors

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