Modelling the service life of rendered facades using fuzzy systems

• This research proposed a model for service life prediction of rendered facades.
• In service life, prediction is used a Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model.
• The models include the variables that influence the degradation of rendered facades.
• The degradation condition of 100 case studies located in Portugal is analyzed.
• The proposed models are able to describe appropriately the degradation of renders.

The knowledge of the service life and durability of building components is paramount to sustainable analysis and decision making since it allows a more rational management of the maintenance of building and provides data for life cycle analysis procedures. Nevertheless, predicting the service life of a building or its components is a complex process with which a number of variables are associated. The main difficulties associated with service life prediction are related to the complexity of the degradation phenomena and to the lack of understanding of degradation factors and mechanisms. This paper aims at establishing a model for the service life prediction of rendered facades using a Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model. The models proposed include the variables that influence the degradation of rendered facades (render age, render type, building height, facade orientation, exposure to damp, and facade protection level). In this study, the degradation condition of 100 case studies located in Portugal is analyzed based only on in situ visual inspections. The proposed models are able to describe appropriately the degradation of rendered facades and to predict the service life of the sample analyzed.