The structure of Swedish research finance was radically changed in 2001, and the present goals of research policy are that Sweden is to be a leading research nation, where research with a high scientific quality is conducted. However, the process of internationalizing Swedish building research leads to an issue of how international standards for scientific quality are applied and how Swedish researcher participation in industry initiatives and European framework programmes is supported. This issue is discussed against a background of a national system where research funding is indirectly and strongly linked to university teaching, which also means that research institutes are comparatively unimportant. International expansion of large firms in the construction industry has led to an increasing engagement with university research. However, the current process intended to guarantee high scientific quality in projects with national funding is inflexible and not fully compatible with what is required for industry and European research cooperation.

The EU project Smart-ECO brings together experienced organizations spanning the full range of stakeholders covering the area of sustainable building. These include universities, R&D organizations, companies developing, supplying and using innovative technologies, consultants, users, government and policy makers. Smart-ECO uses this core partnership together with a wider stakeholder group community to focus on global issues of sustainable building to identify and evaluate priorities for current and future RTD activities. Activities and policies are due to be mapped to identify gaps and to focus future efforts. Innovative technologies, as well as improvements of the construction process, and their introduction into the building sector will be considered in relation to sustainable development, life performance, ambient intelligence, and other relevant stakeholder concerns.

The project focuses on routes and means to enable the uptake of efficient technological and non-technological innovation that in turn enable the building and construction sector to meet the requirement for sustainable building. The current situation and the vision of a more sustainable built environment sets the frame for the appreciation of the long term effectiveness of Eco-buildings and innovative technologies, especially renewable energy systems. Together, the vision and relevant EC policies will serve as a reference framework for the analysis of life performance aspects of innovative technologies applied to realise more energy efficient and more sustainable buildings.

This paper presents and discusses the process of establishing a reliable vision for sustainable buildings and related performance requirements.

Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) provide unprecedented opportunities for obtaining excellent thermal insulation with light and slender constructions. This article discusses the performance over time of VIPs, and the possibilities to overcome the current problems related to fragility and limited durability. Aerogels are together with fumed silica among the most competitive core materials for VIP's. The use of classical aerogels, as produced in autoclaves is, however, limited due to the high production costs. The fumed silica on the other hand requires vacuum levels that are difficult to maintain with the currently available vacuum envelopes. A material with comparatively smaller pores will on the other hand allow obtaining low thermal conductivity at higher pressure (less vacuum) and will therefore reduce the pressure difference over the envelope. There is therefore much to be gained by reducing the pore size. New cost and performance efficient silica aerogels offers opportunities to enhance the properties of the panels by customizing the pore structure and pore size distribution. Building technologies and how the panels are applied in a manner that improves the structural, thermal and hygroscopic performances of vacuum insulated constructions have been studied and are discussed.

In the building and construction sector all features are location based. The world of geographic information and application orientation is moving extremely fast, and there is a real danger that the slow uptake of new technology and applications in the building sector will again leave the sector trailing behind, also implying a loss in sustainable development and competitive edge. In order to deal with this issue CIB in 1996 established the task group CIB/TG20-GIS. Based on the report CIB 256 from this group and its recommendations, CIB in 2000 established the working commission CIB W106 "Geographical Information Systems", with the overall objectives to provide an international platform for R and D of GIS in the building sector. The W106 has members from 14 countries/organisations and will present its progress report at this Congress, while its final report with conclusions and recommendations is due for the 10DBMC conference in 2005. The work is divided into the following four Tasks: TG1 - GIS-requirements and availability of geographic standards-, data and infra-structures, TG2 - GIS-based analysis and modelling of flow and distribution of materials in the built environment, TG3 - Spatial dynamic modelling for simulation of the interaction between the natural and the built environment, TG4 - GIS in Education and Info sources. Objectives and work programme for each of these tasks are given and illustrated with examples, taken from state-of-the-art reports on the use of GIS elaborated by the participating countries/organisations.

In the building and construction sector all features are location based. The world of geographic information and application orientation is moving extremely fast, thus challenging the building sector to facilitate and implement this new technology and applications. In order to deal with these issues CIB in 1996 established the task group CIB/TG20-GIS. Based on the report CIB 256 from this group and its recommendations, CIB in 2000 established the working commission CIB W106 - Geographical Information Systems., with the overall objectives to provide an international platform for R&D of GIS applications for the built environment, and to promote and encourage the use of GIS in the building sector. The W106 has members from 14 countries/organisations and will present its final report for work period 2001-04 due for the 10DBMC conference in 2005. The work is divided into the following four Tasks: TG1- GIS-requirements and availability of geographic standards-, -data and infra -structures, TG2- GIS-based analysis and modelling of flow and distribution of materials in the built environment, TG3- Spatial dynamic modelling for Simulation of the interaction between the natural and the built environment, TG4- GIS in Education and Info sources. Objectives and work programme for each of these tasks are given and illustrated with examples, taken from state .of-the-art reports on the use of GIS elaborated by the participating countries/organisations. With the rapid development of IFC based standards for digital object oriented models of building products there is a huge need for property sets, such as environmental exposure data, reference service life, service life models, factor distributions, LCA and LCC data, which can be linked directly to the building elements. The significant drive within the AEC/IFC to provide for relevant location based data (GIS) via IFC format will be a major facilitator for access to relevant durability data on the specific building site. It is concluded that time is ripe for a broad implementation of GIS based applications in the building sector. Hence, it is recommended that the work programme of W106 for the coming working period includes a focus on support for an IFC based fully integrated design and planning process for the built environment, as well as a close link to the European based R&D frameworks for integrated life cycle management of the built environment.

Service life planning calls for characterisation and classification of the exposure environment for the constructed asset(s) in question. Lack of knowledge of environmental exposure data and models among the building sector players is an important barrier for further progress towards service life prediction. The ever more evident climate change highlights even more the need for data and models on the exposure, when it comes to address its impact on the built environment. In general, requirements for establishing and implementing systems for quantitative characterisation and classification of durability of materials and components are: 1) well defined, and relatively simple damage functions for the materials in question, 2) availability of environmental exposure data/loads, including methods and models for assessing their geographical distribution, and 3) user friendly IT systems for storage, processing and modelling the environmental loads onto structures. Service life functions related to environmental degradation are today available for a range of building materials and components. As for availability of environmental data and models, as well as proper IT systems, it is shown that for most European countries, such data and models are available from meteorological offices and the environmental research area, and that these data and the work performed are directly applicable for service life planning and life cycle management of constructed assets. A short review of some of the most applicable models for environmental exposure and for degradation and damage of building materials and structures is included. The global climate system is likely to undergo changes, regardless of the implementation of abatement policies under the Kyoto Protocol or other regimes. Both the functionality of the existing built environment and the design of future buildings are likely to be altered by climate change impacts, and the expected implications of these new conditions are now investigated. The data and models are often directly exhibited in computer-based systems, often on GIS based platforms. With the rapid development of IFC based standards for digital object oriented models of building products there is a huge need for property sets, such as durability and service life data, linked directly to the building elements. The significant drive within the AEC/IFC community to provide for relevant location based data (GIS) via IFC format will be a major facilitator for access to site specific durability data, described by degradation models containing environmental (and other) degradation factors.

This publication covers work undertaken within the CIB Working Commission W080/RILEM Technical Committee 140-TSL on the prediction of service life of building materials and components during the period between 1991 and 1996 and as well, additional information subsequently provided in the period between 1997 and 2002. It was intended that this publication offer researchers and knowledgeable practitioners a useful guide to service life prediction, a primer, providing fundamental information related to methods of service life prediction, information on environmental characterisation, and relevant information on the performance and durability of construction materials. Each part is self-contained - pagination is unique to the part and Tables or Figures in the text have been enumerated using a prefix that relates to the section in which they are presented. References are exclusive to the Part in which they are used, these have not been cross-referenced to the other parts nor the bibliography.

A comparative study of the microstructure of both new and in-use aged blast-furnace slag cement coir reinforced composite was performed. Aged samples came from internal and external walls of a 12-year-old house, built in Sao Paulo. The panels of the house were produced using 1:1.5:0.504 (binder: sand: water, by mass) mortar reinforced with 2% of coir fibre by Volume. The binder was blast-furnace slag activated by 2% of lime and 10% of gypsum. Fibres were removed from the composite and Subsequently cleaned with acid solution (chloridric acid, 10%) in an ultrasonic bath. Both aged and new fibres were studied under low pressure BSE SEM with EDS analysis. The lignin content of the fibre was measured by the acetyl bromide method and qualitatively evaluated by Weisner reaction using an optical microscope. Cement transformations were Studied by X-ray diffraction and TG. Its pore water composition was also determined. Carbonation was measured by phenolphthalein. Composites were Studied under low vacuum SEM. Interfaces and deposition of inorganic species in the fibre lumen were also investigated. Methods are described. After 12 years, the cement was fully carbonated. Fibres removed from the old samples seem to be undamaged when examined under SEM. Qualitative lignin content determination by Wiesner reaction suggests that old samples have lower content of guaiacyl lignin units. Nevertheless. the total lignin content of old fibres when measured by using the acetyl bromide method, is comparable to that reported in literature. No significant difference was found in the lignin content of fibres removed from external and those removed from internal wails.

The development of service life product standards and standardization of service life design and planning of buildings and constructed facilities are key elements for achieving “Sustainable Construction”. The technical committee CIB W80 has focused over the past decade, on the development of knowledge in support of such standards and design methods and it has been the prime purveyor of fundamental information on the service life prediction of building materials and components. A final report is provided of work completed in the most recent work programme covering the period between 2002-2005. Advances in three areas of estimating the service life of building products components or systems are outlined. These include the factorial method, an engineering design approach and reliability-based methods. As well, a summary is given of work carried out in related areas, including environmental factors. Additional information is provided on failure mode effects analysis and its use in the building industry. Insights are provided into the collaborative efforts and related activities within ISO TC 59 SC14 – “Design life” and the Performance based building (PeBBu) thematic network initiative focused on “Construction materials” of the fifth EC framework on Competitive and Sustainable Growth.

This article presents the various activities starting in the mid 1990s, which led to an internationally agreed Agenda 21 on Sustainable Construction, published by CIB in 1999. Further work, nationally, regionally and internationally to implement the Agenda is described. Sustainable construction is a way for the building and construction industry to respond towards achieving sustainable development from the various environmental, socio-economic and cultural aspects. Trends and approaches in building to meet sustainable development requirements are commented on, as well as the ongoing standardisation on the design life of constructed works.

The main themes on which the symposium focused helped address some of the issues related to achieving sustainable construction. Evidently the collectively of the work suggests that this area is in the incipient stages and minor but nonetheless significant contributions have been made towards resolving these complex problems. Maintaining and sustaining the built environment through information integration, assessment and analysis techniques and the use of specifications as well as service life models for building materials, components and assemblies is likely to be an involved yet compelling challenge in the decades to come. Editorial Note This joint CIB/RILEM Symposium was one of the events organised during the CIB World Building Congress 1998 in Gävle, Sweden 7–12 June. As the President of CIB, Prof. C. Sjöström was in charge of the organisation of this congress. The Executive Secretariat of CIB 1998 was the Division of Materials Technology, Centre of Built Environment, Royal Institute of Technology, which is also a RILEM Titular Member.

CIB's efforts to create an Agenda 21 for the construction sector are introduced here. CIB's unique position within the international construction community allowed it to initiate a specific sectorial response to the international agendas raised by Brundtland, Habitat II, Rio and Kyoto. CIB's recognition of the problems in establishing both a framework for sustainable development; how change within industry occurs, along with CIB's past, current and proposed activities meant that CIB was perfectly suited to respond to sustainable development. This CIB-led project resulted in global collaboration and co-ordination to specifically address sustainable development for the construction community. Situated between the broad international agendas and more local and subsectorial agendas, CIB's Agenda 21 is a conceptual framework that serves as an intermediary and provides for comparison and co-ordination. The three principal objectives are: to create a global framework and terminology that will add value to national, regional and sub-sectorial agendas; to create an agenda for CIB activities and for co-ordinating CIB with specialist partner organizations, and to provide a source document for definition of R&D activities.

The scope of ISO/TC59/SC14 "Design Life of Buildings" is to produce standards on the steps to be taken at various stages of the building cycle to ensure that the resulting constructed facility, will last for its intended life without incurring large unexpected expenditures of money or resources. The standards for design life of buildings also identify a guiding concept on durability of building products of help in implementing the European Construction Products Directive, CPD. Four parts of the standard series, ISO 15686 Buildings and Constructed Assets - Service Life Planning, have been published. Another 4 parts of the 15686 series are on the way to be approved, one being the Part 8 "Reference service life and service life estimation". Of particular importance is the concept of Reference Service Life (RSL; the expected service life in a well-defined set of in-use conditions), the procedures for service life prediction (Part 2) and the Factor Method (FM) for estimation of service life in specific projects (Part 1 and 8). The FM is used to modify an RSL to obtain an estimated service life (ESL) of the components of a design object, while considering the difference between the projectspecific and the reference in-use conditions. This methodology receives much interest from the international R&D community. A challenge is to establish databases on RSL and factor distributions. This presupposes the involvement of the industry and other stakeholders in the work. RSL is also essential in providing environmental information on whole life cycle of building products. According to ISO/DIS 21930 Buildings and Constructed Assets - Sustainability in Building Construction - Environmental Declarations of Building Products, it is necessary to have RSL data of the product to provide scenarios for environmental impacts of the use stage of the product. The Part 9 "Service life declaration in Product standards" is developed in parallel with work in CEN to establish guidance documents for inclusion of durability declarations in product standards. For innovative products EOTA (European Organisation for Technical Approvals) are issuing European Technical Approvals, where the durability evaluation is performed according to EOTA guidance developed on the basis of the service life prediction concepts as expressed in ISO 15686-2.

With the rapid development of IFC based standards for digital object oriented models of building products there is a huge need for property sets, such as durability and service life data, which can be linked directly to the building elements.

Sustainable development requirements in society are presenting specifically expressed challenges to building and construction. These challenges are recognised and met by the building and construction sector on an overall level, but only slowly penetrate into the discussions and operation of daily construction work. An international trend towards increased demands on service life planning, in Europe e.g. expressed by the Construction Products Directive, resulting in an adaptation of standards and codes might promote a change in the construction industry. The article presents the history and background of sustainable construction, pictures the development and state of relevant directives and standards, and couples sustainable construction to the trend towards performance based thinking in construction. The rapid development of IT-based life cycle design and management tools is briefly commented. Is the building and construction sector mature enough to meet the challenges and to take this road to the future? There are market arguments and business possibilities, but also a daily practice providing examples of counteraction.

Service life planning comprises a model for the determination of a reasonable expected service life for buildings and components, and it establishes a routine for the assessment of design alternatives. A design option is considered reasonable when it meets or exceeds performance requirements over time that have been drawn up specifically for the specific project. Due to this assessment reference, there is a very evident link to the concept of performance-based building. Any stakeholder involved in the value chain or in the design process of the building, as well as regulators and building users, can express performance requirements. Identified requirements, both in relevance and in quality, will vary with the stakeholder and his/her perspective of interest. As building sector manufacturers develop most products with reference to standards rather than with reference to specific requirements, there is no direct link from user requirements to the product design. Instead, the building designer has the responsibility to ensure performance requirements are met by the performance of products integrated into the design. As these design decisions also have to be made at the material and component level, a performance-based building would benefit from an established rationale that enables the communication of performance requirements across the relevant system levels in the relevant design processes. A path for the connection of the established concepts of service life planning and performance-based building is presented. The aim is to identify key elements that need to be developed for the successful linkage of performance-based building with service life planning.

The European Directive on Construction Products (CPD) establishes a set of essential requirements on construction products to be fulfilled throughout the "working life" of the construction works. The demands expressed in the directive is one significant driver, international attention another. Both CEN through a "task force on durability" and ISO through TC59/SC14 "Design Life" are addressing the subject. The work of ISO has led to the establishment of a suite of procedural standards on service life planning, including service life declaration and service life assessment methodologies, useful to be applied in the declaration and the application of service life information.

The political agendas related to sustainable development and the understanding that building and construction is a key industrial sector to implement sustainability principles have led to the establishment of ISO TC59/SC17 "Sustainability in building construction". Being the first ISO subcommittee expressly dealing with sustainability in relation to an industrial sector, the work focuses on economic, environmental and social aspects of sustainability relative to buildings and construction works.

Together with the established standards on service life and the concept of performance-based building, all the three provide a procedural reference point for the consideration of sustainability aspects. They all benefit when applied in common context, and can provide each other with necessary information. On a European scale this common context is elaborated with the work of CEN TC350. The status of development, key drivers and key success factors are elaborated in this paper.

The development of ISO 15392 on general principles of sustainability in building construction took more time than expected. The most significant reason for this was the need to identify a common basis for the conceptual content of the document. With this basis now being identified, the work has taken up momentum and the general principles document presents principles to be considered when addressing the thematic field of sustainable development in relation to building and civil engineering. A key problem to be tackled in international standardization is finding the balance between the necessary level of detail to actually provide something to the user of the standard, and at the same time not to be too specific in order to allow different nations and their specific perspectives to still agree to the standard. While the challenge of sustainable development is global, the strategies for addressing sustainability in building construction are local and differ in context and content from region to region. Such strategies will reflect the context not only in the building environment, but also very much the social environment. This social environment includes cultural issues, legislation and regulation, as well as the needs and concerns of all the users and interested parties involved. Applying the concept of sustainability to specific buildings or other construction works includes a holistic approach, bringing together the global concerns and goals of sustainable development and the demands and requirements in terms of product functionality, efficiency, and economy. Different target audiences will have a different perspective on these challenges and the preferred solutions. The standards must hence put the topic onto a common playing field, still allowing different perspectives to be applied and priorities to be set, as well as recognizing that many aspects of sustainable development lie without the possible content of international technical standardization. ISO 15392 is related to and set into the context of other international standards and widely applied concepts, such as the performance-based building concept and the ISO 15686 series. This paper illustrates the set of related international standards and discusses the modular application. We want to discuss key factors needing consideration in order to bring the set of standards to successful application.

PeBBu domain 1 on life performance of construction materials and components is part of the EU financed thematic network on Performance based Building. Domain 1 addresses issues in a thematic field, where performance based building, service life, life performance and environmental declaration of products draw attention to each other. As can be seen in the recent development of international standards, service life and performance requirements gain a significant position as part of sustainability assertions of buildings and building products. Domain 1 aims to identify aspects of practical application of the ISO standards series 15686 on service life planning, as these standards provide the methodological basis to identify service life, and to provide the market with service life information. As service life per se relates to performance requirements and performance over time, and as sustainability in building construction related to fitness for purpose, performance based building fulfils a central hotspot of concern in relation to building sustainability. D1 addresses stakeholders' concerns when involving service life - both concerning the provision of information as the adaptation of information to a specific building design. Hence, concerns of manufacturers as well as designers and other relevant stakeholders are dealt with. Issues of concern for further R a. D as well as feedback and input to ongoing international standardisation, are identified by D1. With the direct link to the durability and service life research community and the involved standardisation bodies, the thematic network can play an important role in promoting performance based building.

This paper presents the preparation of a porous (Mg, Ca) silicate structure, which could be employed as sorbent filter media. The sorbents have been prepared using sodium silicate precipitated with various ratios of magnesium and calcium salts. The sorbents obtained were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen physisorption isotherm. Further, the applicability and performance of the sorbent impregnate with potassium hydroxide for removal of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) has been demonstrated. From the isotherms, specific surface area, pore diameter and volume of pores were estimated. Results show that the chemical composition and textural properties of the resultant sorbents were highly dependent on Mg/Ca molar ratio. It was found that sorbents made with 68 mol% Mg and 32 mol% Ca (PSS-MgCa-68/32); and 75 mol% Mg and 25 mol% Ca (PSS-MgCa-75/25) exhibited even higher specific surface area and pore volume than the sorbents containing a single metal. The Mg/Ca-silica sorbents obtained contains interconnected bimodal porosity with large portions being mesopores of varied sizes. The pore size distribution (PSD) results further indicate that PSS-MgCa-68/32 sorbent exhibits wide PSD of interconnected pores in the size range of 1 to 32 nm while PSS-MgCa-50/50 and PSS-MgCa-75/25 exhibits narrow PSD of 1 to 5 nm. Using SO₂ as model contaminate gas, it was shown that the dynamic adsorption performance of the PSS-MgCa-sorbents impregnated with 8 wt% KOH exhibits SO₂ uptake, with impregnated PSS-MgCa-68/32 showing better performance. This shows that the materials prepared can be used as adsorbent for gas filtration.

A new MgCa–silica material with bimodal pore size is impregnated with KMnO₄ for dynamic adsorption of H₂S. The MgCa–silica was synthesized using sodium silicate and calcium and magnesium salts as precipitating agents. The KMnO₄ impregnation onto MgCa–silica was obtained through either direct addition into MgCa–silica wet coagulum or doping of dried MgCa–silica pellets into KMnO₄ solution. These chemisorbents were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, spectrophotometer, microscopy and dynamic H₂S adsorption test setup similar to ASHRAE standard I45.I. The results show that impregnation route and KMnO₄ wt% cause a reduction of surface area and total pore volume. The decrease in pore volume was slightly more in chemisorbents obtained via post doping compared to direct impregnation. Regardless of pore volume reduction the pore size range, 1–32 nm, was as in the parent MgCa–silica with micro and meso-pore diameter centered at 1.4 and 5.4 nm respectively. Thus obtained chemisorbents have their pore entrances neither blocked nor shifted. The MgCa–silica/KMnO₄ chemisorbents exhibits good H₂S uptake performance. The chemisorbent with 11.4 wt% KMnO₄ and obtained via direct impregnation possesses the highest uptake capacity. The lowest capacity was observed for chemisorbent with 8 wt% KMnO₄ and made by direct impregnation. The variations in uptake capacity are likely due to impregnation route, the KMnO₄ content and its location in the pore system. The results suggest that the MgCa–silica/KMnO₄chemisorbents can remove H₂S from indoor air at room temperature.

Three synthesis routes are presented here that leads to carbon–silica composites. These were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, by thermogravimetric analysis and by dynamic toluene adsorption test similar to Ashrae standard I45.1. The carbon–silica composites possess high microporosity and mesoporosity as well as large surface areas. Furthermore, the control of the microporosity as well as pore size distribution is possible because they depend on the amount of carbon used and of the synthesis route. Following routes I and III a wide micro-mesoporous pore size (1–32 nm) was obtained where as by route II narrow micro-mesoporous pore size (1–4 nm) was observed. In addition, pore diameters center in the range of 1.13–1.17 nm was observed when carbon content was 32 or 45 wt%. The dynamic adsorption of toluene was evaluated for carbon–silica composites obtained by three preparation routes at two different carbon contents, 32 and 45 wt%. The results showed that a composite with 45 wt% carbon content and obtained via preparation route I gave the highest toluene adsorption capacity (27.6 wt% relative to carbon content). The large uptake capacity of this composite was attributed to the presence of high microporosity volume and a wide (1–32 nm) bimodal pore system consisting of extensive mesopore channels (2–32 nm) as well as large surface area. These capacity values of carbon–silica composites are by weight relative to carbon content and are competitive to, results obtained for commercial coconut activated carbon (31.1 wt%) and significantly better than a commercial alumina-carbon composite(9.5 wt%) at 0% efficiency.

The paper provides a review of the synthesis and adsorptive properties of a novel class of precipitated silica materials. To enhance or tailor the adsorption efficiency, various trapping chemicals (potassium hydroxide, potassium permanganate) or co-adsorbents (coconut activated carbon) are incorporated in the structure of the substrate material. Further, it discusses the applicability and performance over time of the material as adsorbents for removal of hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide and toluene contaminants which are potentially hazardous to sensitive equipment and more importantly, human health. Chemical substances in the air are an unavoidable by-product of most human endeavours within industry and transportation. The need for adsorbents to combat Airborne Molecular Contamination (AMC) follows from the continued intensification of the global environmental movement as well as the rapid industrialisation of developing countries. The removal performance of modified precipitated silica adsorbent shows that the new adsorbent can be tailored to remove low concentrations of sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and toluene contaminants at indoor environment conditions. The results further shows that the new precipitated silica adsorbent impregnated with 8 wt% KOH shows better performance than commercial alumina impregnated with 8 wt% KMnO₄.The adsorbent material may find interesting and efficient uses as passive sinks for pollutants incorporated into more traditional building products such as acoustic baffles or as ingredients in various coatings. The filter material is environmentally friendly and consists of benign chemicals that are abundant worldwide. Performance over time aspects, re-use and recycling of exhausted filter materials are key issues addressed.