Evolution of Prevalence of Construction Anomalies in Roofing Elements through Incident Reports

Abstract

Many anomalies and problems in modern construction do not result in spectacular collapses but in other, more commonplace situations such as the entrance of water or certain dysfunctions of use. The reduction of these circumstances leads to an increase in service life and a decrease in expenses resulting from nonquality. This research resorted to a data source that was very difficult to access and compile (court sentences from complaints by private individuals) in order to better understand the reality in construction that leads building owners to resort to the courts of law. The study was carried out on roofs (both flat and pitched roofs) so as to determine their specific types of damages and underlying causes. Specifically, 100% of all cases existing in a European country in a complete period of six years were analyzed, allowing a complete X-ray of the situations that were reported. The complexity of the situation resulted in the identification of 84 different types of pathology processes. © 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.