204-LTP : Life time performance of materials and structures

Technical Committee 204-LTP


General Information

Deputy Chair: Dr. Hannu VIITANEN
Activity starting in: 2001
Cluster C

Subject matter

The scope of the TC is lifetime performance of materials and structures. The field of application is lifetime design and maintenance of building structures and civil infrastructures. The objective of TC-LTP is to apply and introduce the general performance systematics, modelling and optimisation of lifetime performance and service life of materials and structures at design and maintenance of buildings and civil infrastructures. Special attention will be paid on the effects of environmental loads onto structures under different working conditions. The working method is to collect, evaluate and systematise performance models and methods under varying classified and partly quantified environmental loads for the use in structural design and maintenance of structures. The work will include all general building materials, at least concrete, steel, wood and masonry.

Terms of reference

Start at end of 2001. End at the end of 2004. Main time schedule is as follows: Year 2001: defining detailed content of the work and working plan Year 2002: inventory and benchmarking of existing performance and service life models. Preparation of state of the art and Best Practices report. Year 2003: application of best research results and other knowledge into lifetime modelling, service life design and lifetime maintenance of structures. Symposium ILCDES 2003. Year 2004: preparation final report: "Guide for performance modelling and service life design of structures at design and maintenance of buildings and civil infrastructures".

Detailed working programme

Tasks are the following: Task 1. Collect available information on the current knowledge on lifetime performance modelling and service life modelling of structures made of different materials (concrete, steel, wood, masonry). Task 2. Use the current knowledge, create improvements of applied methodology and methods, and collect new basic data on the issues mentioned above. Task 3. Use the current knowledge, create improvements of applied methodology and methods, and collect new basic data on modelling and service life design of buildings and civil infrastructures. Task 4. Collect and systematise the results of tasks 1 to 3 into final report: "Guide for performance modelling and service life design of structures at design and maintenance of buildings and civil infrastructures". Task 5. Participate in organising the Second International ILCDES Symposium on Integrated Life Cycle Design and Management of Buildings and Civil Engineering Structures, Finland, inbetween 30. 11.- 4. December 2003. The Symposium will be organised in co-operation between CIB, RILEM, IABSE, EU Commission DLG XII and Local Organisers (Association of Finnish Civil Engineers and VTT, Technical Research Centre of Finland). TC -LTP will have meetings as well as individual and group working inbetween these events. This works and communications will be carried out mainly utilising the technique of " Virtual Meeting Room " in Internet. Provisional schedule of meetings: Starting meeting in May, 2002, Paris, France Meeting 2.: in connection with the International Conference on Performance of Construction Materials in the New Millennium, Cairo, Egypt, 18.-20. February, 2003 Meeting 3: in connection with ILCDES 2003 Symposium, 30. November, 2003, Kuopio, Finland Meeting 4: during RILEM Week: 6-10 September 2004 - Japan

Technical environment

TC-LTP is related to several former and current RILEM TC:s, e. g. 116-PCD, 117-FDC, 133-TF, 140-TSL, 149-HTS, 154-EMC, 160-MLN, 161-GMC, 165-SRM, 172-EDM, 175-SLM, TC 179-CSD, IDC, LPC, MDT, MMM, TMC. Professor Asko Sarja is co-ordinating a project of EU Growth Program on the theme "Life Cycle Management of Concrete Infrastructures for improved sustainability" (LIFECON), which will start the work at the begin of 2001. The work of this EU-funded project overlaps the work of the Working Commission. In a Cluster "LIFETIME" of several EU Growth projects, a generic European guide for life time design and management of civil infrastructures and buildings will be produced. It will be possible to combine the work of the new CIB /RILEM Group into the work of LIFETIME-Network. For tthe Euro-International Network also some financing will be applied in May 2001 from EU. This posiible financing will help for co-ordination and travels of those members (including Chairman) who will be members of this Network. CIB has accepted a new Working Commission 105: "Lifetime Engineering in Construction", chaired by Asko Sarja, which is following the work of earlier CIB TG22/ RILEM TC 172 EDM: "Environmental Design Methods of Materials and Structures". RILEM TC-LTP will work in close co-operation with CIB W105.

Expected achievements

Final delivery will be: "Guide for performance modelling and service life design of structures at design and maintenance of buildings and civil infrastructures". The results will serve as an important basis for development and practice of performance based life time design and maintenance of buildings and civil infrastructures.

Group of users

Designers, owners, contractors, consultants, authorities, standard organisations, research institutes.

Specific use of the results

The results will be used in developing methods, guidelines, standards and regulations on lifetime design and maintenance of buildings and civil infrastructures.