Dear Mustafa Al-Kamal ... Thank you so much for your answer... I'm so interested to take a look on this thesis.... thanks for this information...

Dear Prof. Hussam,

I would like to share a research idea related to the above question. A master student colleague worked on statistical analysis to find out the life of buildings. He took many buildings samples across the United States. He find out many 200 years old buildings that are demolished to build a mall. His conclusion is that a building can live a time greater than the expected by the current codes. However, it is been torn down to construct a shopping mall. He even changed his thesis title to "Death by Mall".

Best Wishes and Regards

Dr. Mustafa

His thesis info. is:

Death by Mall: Building Stock Dynamics by Survival Analysis

Jan Vorel - 2014 - University of Wyoming

Best Regards

Dear Mustafa Al-Kamal ... Thank you so much for your answer... I'm so interested to take a look on this thesis.... thanks for this information...

Obviously Yes . Designing is the key factor from where you can estimate the load on the Structure likewise Civil Engineering .

Dear Prof. Hussam,

Thank you for this question. From my point of view, that depends on the complexity of the structure you build. For example, the traditional buildings (low rise) designer can evaluate the life of the building during the design process more accurately than the complicated buildings (for example, high-rise buildings) and also steel buildings are more available to evaluate its life than concrete buildings Another point, the construction process may also affect the life. I recommend following the performance-based design approach and simplified models approach to get a good estimating of the building life.

Thanks

Yes of course

Jaydip Datta .... Thank you for answering.. I really appreciate...

Yahia Halabi .... Thank you for answering.. I really appreciate...

Mohamed Reda Emara .... Thank you for answering.. I really appreciate...

Hussam Ali Mohammed You are more than welcome dear Prof. Dr. Hussam.

It is really an interesting question that you have asked.

All the best

Dr. Mustafa

Of course YES, this is one of the essential principles in constructing process...

Regards,

Emad

Yes and Agreed with @ Emad Kamil Hussein

During the construction you are confronted with technical constraints, either in terms of the geology of the foundation, such as the problem of watertightness... Etc and according to the way these problems are treated and the percentage of success of the solutions, you can estimate the lifespan of the structure...

A. RATIAT

of courses Yes, since the impacts of structural elements can have consequences on the environment and human health.

Dear Prof. Hussam,

I study earthen housing and others low-impact construction techniques, and one of the many questions made in this area is about the estimated life of the structures. In my opinion, there still are lots of room to improvement on the designers' view about the practice of longevity calculation for the structures they plan. On the daily professional planning not all architects care about this issue, specially when the structure on hand is to be build conventionally. As for the earthen built structures, based in examples that we have all around the world of secular, even millennial buildings made out of soil such as in ancestral rammed earth walls, for an example, it is possible to see that the longevity of a building can be easily miscalculated in the begging of a modern design project. When we discuss this issue within the new earthen construction techniques options, the point mostly seen is the suspicion the society in general have towards these buildings, taking them as a short time living structure. My view of the subject, is that there is still room for improvement on this part too, specially when we talk about the reversibility of the material to its initial condition, after the end of the useful life of the construction in which it was a part, which sometimes can happen in the earthen buildings, in opposite to the conventionally built structures. I hope these insights were useful to enrich your discussion on the subject. It is indeed an interesting question.

Best regards,

Renata Alves .

Unlike many people who answered "Yes", from my point of view, providing a Reliable Estimation on service life of the structure at the designing stage is almost IMPOSSIBLE !!! There are many factors affecting the life of the structure and not all of those could be considered at the structural design stages. The main reason is the occurrence of a variety of unwanted and unexpected accidents in an unknown future. For instance, Natural Disasters such as flood, storm or earthquake which may highly affect the Structural Health Conditions. The other example which is more understandable these days is the presence of Epidemic Diseases and/or PANDEMICS (Ex. Covid-19). Long-term lack of available Manpower at Workplace as a result of Quarantine, and also the Financial Problems, due the suspension of all activities, may leads to Limitation of the Budget and consequently Suspension of the Structural Health Monitoring and Maintenance procedures (based on the design protocol). The above mentioned are only the two examples of many unknown and unexpected affecting parameters. Although, everyone believes that the service life of structures highly depends on the quality of the work during the Design and Construction of the structure, but no one may propose a reliable estimation while even unable to predict all the necessary and effective parameters and the relevant information.

In the article coming from one of my research projects and provided below, I can claim that "at the designing stage" I helped to increase the service life of underground concrete structures (Ex. Subway Tunnels) by addition of a watertightness shotcrete layer to the main waterproofing system. However, due to the mentioned limitations, I am not even able to estimate the number of the years added to the structures life by this technique.

Article Corrosion control in underground concrete structures using d...

Hussam Ali Mohammed Renata Alves Dakhia Azzedine Abdelkader Ratiat Ban Ahmed Ammad Hassan Khan Emad Kamil Hussein Mustafa Al-Kamal Mohamed Reda Emara Yahia Halabi Jaydip Datta

Agreed with @Nima

Practical point of view agreed with @ Nima Ghafari

Theoretical point of view agreed with @ Emad Kamil Hussein

At the designing process of any structure, one would not involve the estimation of its life in this stage. it's more of a spatial analysis after the programmed activities of this are considered (the needs, and all its indicators). another factor is its location, is it above ground?, underneath? undersea? where and when will you have the structure be applied to? you can add in all the materials, manpower, technologies available to as resources but what about the economics? to how much are we investing with the materials or structure? will it lasts to what it was designed to? to what outcomes are we expecting our sets of indicators to show? there was an assumptions that we need to design life of structures for approximately 50 years as a variable for a study. By this time, a lot of studies and research would add in to our quest to shorten or lengthen its capacity by rendering it obsolete or apply an adaptive re-use clause. if one has added an indicator to do so.

Definitely. Designers must consider many important things, the most important of which is the life of the structure, ensuring the reliability of safety and preserving the lives of the residents.

Best regards

In Mexico, until this century, the materials used in construction of most buildings were baked brick or concrete blocks and reinforced concrete for roofs and clearings. The duration of buildings is a relatively new consideration with the availability of fast set up materials.

@It is implicit in the code, it is suppose the codes are based in experiments and results from theoretical statistical analysis which are compared and then determine security factors or reliability safety factor. Only the research who did the study and implemented the results in the code could Know the predict time of life of the structures that we design, in a full study. This information is not in the code and is underground and spread. But you could project in time the index beta from a functional reliability analysis between load and resistance until obtain Beta=3.5 and obtain the lapsed in time. Beta=3.5 is used for collapse. In this analysis you affect with increments the loads and reductions the resistance, based in the probability function type assigned to each variable and statistical analysis of coefficient of variation and mean. This constants should be function of time. Regards

Definitely Yes . when we talk

about civil engineering, the designing is the key factor from where you can estimate the load on the Structure.

Dear Hussam Ali Mohammed,

if you are interested in a brief summary of this topic, i would like to suggest you my article: DOI: 10.1002/suco.2019000408

With best regards

Florian Zimmert

Difficult to quantitatively estimate the life cycle of a structure (service life) to be. The concept of economic life, social (functional) life, and physical life and most technically, it means physical life.

The durability of a concrete structure depends on how long Is it safe to use according to the design condition considered in life cycle of the structure. In simple terms, what is the usable life of the structure? It is like doing.

Design life of structures are not assumed, but they stipulated for compliance by performance base design details... Durability of concrete is covered in Section 4 of AS 3600 Concrete structures 3.1. The Standard applies to plain, reinforced and prestressed concrete structures and members with a design life of 50 years ± 20%, but notes that: n More stringent requirements would be appropriate for structures with a design life in excess of 50 years (eg monumental structures), while some relaxation of the requirements may be acceptable for structures with a design life less than 50 years (eg temporary structures) +

It invovle lots of parameters alongwith designing. Every codel provision has inherent aspects for life of structures in terms of its durability. One of the important parameter is execution of work for that structure with quality materials and workshipship by using proper technology. Structures also abide with some contract in which regular monitoring, maintanace etc. at time of crirical events.

For example In the Normas Técnicas Complementarias para Diseño y

Construcción de Estructuras de Concreto from Mexico says that you should design for a useful life time of 50 years and it is considered in the design based in prevention of the corrosion of steel in concrete based in the quality of concrete. In the Normas Técnicas Complementarias para Diseño por Sismo don’t appear the return period of loads for design but should be about 250 years. The regulations don’t shows or define the cycle of loading and reliability reach, only says that the design should guarantee de security level in accordance with the regulation and it is based in the resistance factors and loading factors and combinations defined on it during the design. With this information you deduce that at least the building should be safe and useful BETWEEN 4 times intense seismic in at least 50 years IF YOU FOLLOW THE RULES should be.

https://www.imt.mx/archivos/Publicaciones/PublicacionTecnica/pt181.pdf

I agree with Hussam Ali Mohammed statement regarding service life

if construction work is done in good quality considering Bridge code parameters during execution and regular annual inspection / repair / maintenance is done , then we can access ( approx) the service life of bridge during design process.

Few case studies can be considered to make a proper assessment for the life cycle scenario of a structure.

1. on materials, methods, techniques and new emerging technologies

2. past / present construction. its flaws and emergence, monitoring and evaluation parameters.

3. stakeholders take on the project, finance etc

It is for designers to assess

No.. As I think...

Most definitely YES. Road Infrastructures for example has design life which would have captured variables like traffic/axle load and its repetition, traffic volume, subsoil investigation, weather conditions amongst other variables. This is put into consideration during design of the road to estimate the road pavement life span.

Emad Kamil Hussein ... Thanks very much for answering ... Your answer makes me comfortable and happy...

its a deep subject herein.. Actually I'm looking for the opposite answer.... where I feel its the right in someway...

Ban Ahmed .. Thanks for answering...

Con you explain more how is that...??

Abdelkader Ratiat .... Thanks for answering...

Within all constrain that you mention in your answer.. your final word is ... Yes ... How is that... can you explain more..

Regards..

Dakhia Azzedine .... Thanks for answering...

Con you explain more how is that indicate the structures life...!!

Renata Alves .... Thanks for this wonderful answer..

You are right.. and you have a point of view... but in general, planing need a critical point like when structure life end.. which is the point of my question... So planing of anything will need to solve whatever issues and makes a clear idea, ... when the structure consider dead...

I really appreciate your beautiful answer...

Regards...

The Design of Building Structures for Improved Life-Cycle Performance

by Forest Lee Flager

Nima Ghafari ... Thanks for your wonderful answer..

You are almost touch the right and show a very impressive point of view...

Estimation of structure life done on paper.. with some limited factor... related to quality of materials and construction techniques.. but even that ... could these estimation consider right... ??? regardless to other nonstandard condition..

Muhammad Junaid Rao .... Thanks for answering..

Ammad Hassan Khan .... Thanks for answering..

Structures life is what...? Practical issue or Theoretical ....?

Arnold Ramirez Amorato .... Thanks for answering..

With all factors that you mentioned in your answer.. that already will be assumed in final word... Did you think that structures life could be correctly estimate..?

Regards..

Alyaa Al-Attar .... Thanks for answering..

Estimation of structure life done on paper.. with some limited factors... related to quality of materials and construction techniques.. but even that ... could these estimation consider right... ???

Arturo Murillo M. .... Thanks for answering..

So, .. Your answer is No.. ???

Abraham Díaz de León Benard .... Thanks for answering..

So, ... did the code check structures after its time life ended...?

Did any articles indicated the end rime point in the structure life... regardless to the factors that made based on assumptions..

Regards...

Gulbir Singh .... Thanks for answering..

The design based on factors given in code.. the code considered these factors based on experimental studies and theoretical point of view, which all based on assumptions with a lot of factors... and that take us to ask ... did the code check structures after its time life ended...?

Florian Zimmert ... Thanks for answering..

I will check this article .. for sure. Thanks again..

Jey Lee ... Thanks for answering..

Starting with " Difficult " and ended your answer with question..

So, I understand its No.. your final answer...???

Edgar Agda ... Thanks for answering..

Code refer some articles about concrete assumed life... and steel... but its more than these two materials.. and can we ask... did the code check structures after its time life ended...?

Edgar Agda .... Do you think that structures must demolished and replaced after 50 years...?

Bhavin G. Buddhdev ... Thanks for answering..

Your answer is Yes.. ???

Code refer some articles about concrete assumed life... and steel... but its more than these two materials.. and can we ask... did the code check structures after its time life ended...?

Milan Mirkovic

Did you check these structures after 10 and 20 years.. the estimated life time.. ?

The main point of this question.. is ... does the estimated life time of the structures correct..?... what beyond this end point... ??.. Do we must considered the structures out of service and danger..?

Satish Chandra ... Thanks for answering..

Yes... a lot of assumption must made to predict an estimated end point in the structure life..

Ricardo Fernandez Smith ... Thanks for answering..

A conflict point herein.. when connected to designers without clear line to follow.. , .. what do you think...?

Raad A. Mohammed ... Thanks for answering..

Can you explain more.. Why No..?

Ariyo Adanikin ... Thanks for answering..

Upon your experience... did any check the structure after the end point.. I mean after its life estimated time ended...?

Isam Alkhalifawi ... Thanks for answering..

Need to know first.. .are the estimate time correct... and check how can be improved.. that take us to ask... did any check the structures at its end point...?

@Hussam Ali Mohammed The reality is that most pavement (Flexible -10 years, Rigid - 20 years) shows sign of deterioration even before the end of their design life. Therefore maintenance/rehabilitation are essentials in ensuring the infrastructures attain their design life span. Many factors such as inaccurate data, unforseen circumstances, non-adherence to design standards during construction also inhibits the infrastructures from attaining their design life.

Most times design and construction is done based on existing building codes and specifications. The question is, do these codes and specification specify the lifespan of the structure, are they revised and improved?

During my site engineer experience, we don't do that although we often used rebound hammer to check the strength of concrete. It's because it was not my job description to do that as a site engineer, I did some altercation in execution method to ensure the executed work sustains. But change in mix design of change of materials being used regardless of it being the better quality, I've never went to this extent as designers determines materials and types by doing calculations. For intense, an exterior of building has to be plastered, the type of sand and ratio of cement makes a big different. If I use more binding materials it may develop cracks or probably start to peel off.