Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This third edition of Bill Ransom's classic short textbook provides a solid introduction to the study of defects in buildings and, in consequence, to good practice in conservation and repair.

Building failures continue to occur despite continuing experience and growing knowledge in the industry; they may even be on the increase due to cost-cutting measures, the inadequate testing of innovative products and techniques, a lack of maintenance, and user abuse and misuse.

New material includes an outline of the principles of building pathology; new sections on deterioration mechanisms, service life prediction and dampness investigation.

Complete with a handy glossary and bibliography, practitioners and students will find this an excellent source of guidance and information for investigating and avoiding building failures.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of figures (p. ix)
• List of tables (p. xiii)
• Preface to third edition (p. xv)
• Acknowledgements (p. xvii)
• Disclaimer (p. xix)
• 1 Introduction to building pathology (p. 1)
• 1.1 Context (p. 1)
• 1.2 Background to the construction industry (p. 10)
• 1.3 A model of best practice in building pathology (p. 16)
• 1.4 Evidence-based practice (p. 18)
• 1.5 Personal-based practice (p. 21)
• 1.6 Summary (p. 25)
• 2 Principles of building diagnostics (p. 27)
• 2.1 Introduction to diagnostics (p. 27)
• 2.2 Decision making in defects diagnosis (p. 34)
• 2.3 Risk in building diagnostics (p. 44)
• 2.4 Summary (p. 47)
• 3 Basic investigative methodology (p. 48)
• 3.1 Background (p. 48)
• 3.2 General investigative procedure (p. 50)
• 3.3 Diagnostic process (p. 52)
• 3.4 Models of analysing defects (p. 58)
• 3.5 Problems in defects diagnosis (p. 65)
• 3.6 Summary (p. 69)
• 4 Diagnostic techniques and tools (p. 70)
• 4.1 Information and decision aids (p. 70)
• 4.2 Physical aids (p. 71)
• 4.3 Background to analytical techniques (p. 73)
• 4.4 Spectroscopy (p. 74)
• 4.5 Other analytical techniques (p. 78)
• 4.6 Non-destructive testing (p. 88)
• 4.7 Summary (p. 93)
• 5 Deterioration mechanisms (p. 94)
• 5.1 Background (p. 94)
• 5.2 Principal deterioration mechanisms (p. 95)
• 5.3 Degrees of deterioration (p. 106)
• 5.4 Staining (p. 109)
• 5.5 Relationship between deterioration, obsolescence and depreciation (p. 110)
• 5.6 Summary (p. 111)
• 6 Durability and service life assessment (p. 112)
• 6.1 Durability of materials (p. 112)
• 6.2 Service life assessment (p. 138)
• 6.3 Summary (p. 143)
• 7 Moisture (p. 144)
• 7.1 Introduction (p. 144)
• 7.2 Sources of moisture (p. 145)
• 7.3 Moisture from human activities (p. 149)
• 7.4 Condensation (p. 150)
• 7.5 Avoidance of condensation (p. 153)
• 7.6 Summary (p. 155)
• 8 Foundations (p. 156)
• 8.1 Introduction (p. 156)
• 8.2 Type and structure of the soil (p. 156)
• 8.3 Interaction between soils and buildings (p. 157)
• 8.4 Soil movement (p. 157)
• 8.5 Fill (p. 164)
• 8.6 Summary (p. 166)
• 9 Floors, floor finishes and DPMs (p. 167)
• 9.1 Background (p. 167)
• 9.2 Hardcore (p. 167)
• 9.3 Damp-proofing of floors (p. 170)
• 9.4 Concrete floors (p. 171)
• 9.5 Magnesite flooring (p. 176)
• 9.6 Timber flooring (p. 177)
• 9.7 Clay floor tiles (p. 180)
• 9.8 Plastic sheets and tiles (p. 181)
• 9.9 Summary (p. 182)
• 10 Walls and DPCs (p. 183)
• 10.1 Moisture penetration from the ground (p. 183)
• 10.2 Rain penetration (p. 185)
• 10.3 Cold bridges and interstitial condensation (p. 192)
• 10.4 Cracking and spalling of masonry through movement (p. 193)
• 10.5 Damage to walls by chemical attack (p. 197)
• 10.6 Damage to walls by physical attack (p. 200)
• 10.7 Problems with renderings (p. 203)
• 10.8 Summary (p. 204)
• 11 Cladding (p. 205)
• 11.1 Background (p. 205)
• 11.2 Differential movement (p. 205)
• 11.3 Inaccuracies in construction (p. 209)
• l1.4 Faults caused by movement and inaccuracy (p. 209)
• 11.5 Sealants (p. 212)
• 11.6 Fixing methods (p. 212)
• 11.7 Prevention of loss of integrity in cladding (p. 215)
• 11.8 Water entry (p. 217)
• 11.9 Metal cladding (p. 220)
• 11.10 Summary (p. 221)
• 12 Doors and windows (p. 222)
• 12.1 Background (p. 222)
• 12.2 Doors (p. 222)
• 12.3 Windows (p. 223)
• 12.4 Prevention of failure and remedial work (p. 229)
• 12.5 Summary (p. 231)
• 13 Roofs (p. 232)
• 13.1 Background (p. 232)
• 13.2 Flat roofs (p. 232)
• 13.3 Pitched roofs (p. 249)
• 13.4 Summary (p. 254)
• 14 Services (p. 255)
• 14.1 Background (p. 255)
• 14.2 Heating installations (p. 255)
• 14.3 Chimneys and flues (p. 257)
• 14.4 Plumbing and drainage (p. 260)
• 14.5 Electricity supply (p. 262)
• 14.6 Summary (p. 263)
• 15 Failure patterns and control (p. 264)
• 15.1 Background (p. 264)
• 15.2 Ongoing defects (p. 265)
• 15.3 Review of causes (p. 266)
• 15.4 Recap on reasons for failure (p. 267)
• 15.5 Problems of innovation (p. 269)
• 15.6 Minimising building failures (p. 270)
• 15.7 Towards better control (p. 274)
• 15.8 Summary (p. 278)
• Appendix A Glossary (p. 280)
• Appendix B Schedule of defects (p. 296)
• Appendix C Various defects data analysis checklists (p. 297)
• Appendix D Sample diagnostic report (p. 302)
• References (p. 306)
• Index (p. 320)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Bill Ransom was a government research scientist working for the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Department of the Environment and the Colonial Office travelling widely abroad to help resolve problems in construction technology. He retired in 1981 as head of the Building Integrity Division of the BRE and now lives in Devon.

James Douglas BSc MRICS MBEng is a Lecturer in Building Surveying at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He qualified as a chartered building surveyor in 1986 and has over twenty years experience in the public sector, dealing primarily with maintenance and some adaptation work. His main area of professional interest is investigating and diagnosing defects.