Design life
The design life (or design service life) of a building, other structure or component, is the period of use as intended by the designer after which it may need to be replaced. Before this period has elapsed, it should remain fit for purpose.
Design life will vary according to the type and use of the element being considered. BS EN 1990, Eurocode - Basis of structural design, (Eurocode 0) gives indicative design lives for various types of structure:
- Category 1: Temporary structures, not including structures or parts of structures that can be dismantled with a view to being re-used – 10 years.
- Category 2: Replaceable structural parts, e.g. gantry girders, bearings – 10 to 25 years.
- Category 3: Agricultural and similar buildings – 15 to 30 years.
- Category 4: Building structures and other common structures – 50 years.
- Category 5: Monumental building structures, bridges and other civil engineering structures – 100 years.
The design life of some components may be affected by environmental factors such as:
- Moisture, humidity and rain.
- Wind.
- Temperature and temperature fluctuations.
- Pollution.
- Solar radiation.
It may also be affected by considerations such as maintenance practices, intensity of use, and so on.
There is no legally agreed definition of design life (in fact, there is not even a legally agreed definition of 'design'), so if it is to be included in contract documentation as a performance requirement, it is important that it is carefully defined within the contract documents and that it is consistent with all other requirements in the contract documents.
Several other definitions have been developed to quantify the life of buildings, structures and their components, including:
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Cradle-to-grave.
- Decommissioning.
- Demolition.
- Economic life.
- End of life potential.
- Fitness for purpose.
- Functional life.
- Life.
- Life cycle.
- Life cycle assessment.
- Obsolescence.
- Permanent structure.
- Re-evaluating the design life of buildings.
- Required life.
- Service life.
- Structures at the end of their design life.
- Technical life.
- Temporary structure.
- Useful life.
- Utilising life cycle costing and life cycle assessment.
- Whole-life costs.
- Whole-life value.
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
Channel 4 broadcaster to host 125th anniversary ceremony.
Listed structures on the rail network
Heritage interests and operational requirements must be balanced.
Historic England publishes research into embodied carbon when retrofitting traditional buildings.
New Prime Minister delivers on ECA call for cut in electricity costs.
CIOB reacts to the announcement of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister.
Heritage and conservation science workforce survey - Have your say.
England's Suburbs 1820-2020. Book review.
New, more proportionate and targeted approach for higher-risk building assessments.
Government brings British Steel into public ownership.
UKCW Birmingham returns with bold new theme and focus.
New guidance published on competence requirements for self-certification schemes.
Construction Management, 8 July
NEETs crisis drives interest in trades, but apprenticeships barriers remain.
Comments