Pathologies of a Glass Building Envelope that Affect Durability and Comfort

The durability of materials used in buildings has been widely studied and, in many cases, there are standards to assess it. However, studies on how pathologies affect the durability and comfort of the building users are not so common. The aim of this article is to explain different pathologies of the building envelope, considering glass as its main element and to analyze the causes of those pathologies, agents involved, and how they have affected durability. For that purpose, different cases of pathologies were analyzed on-site, both during the construction process and during the final use of the building. The effects of the different pathologies were also assessed. In each case, the technical data sheets available of the materials involved and the information on the design and the expected performance of the constructive solution were compiled. In some cases, the pathologies had caused an irreversible damage, so, the solution had to be drastic; while in other cases, they were detected early enough to propose remedial actions without affecting the final durability of the building. After having analyzed the different cases, the agents causing the pathology or those responsible for it and the phase in which the pathology occurred were identified. As a result, remedial actions were proposed to avoid the generation of pathologies during the design, construction and maintenance processes that affect the durability of the building and their user's comfort.