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The buildings' surroundings' environmental exposure conditions (e.g., orientation, location, altitude, distance from the sea, temperature, precipitation, presence of damp, exposure to prevailing winds, among others) have a considerable influence on the performance and durability of their envelope. Furthermore, the intensity of these conditions can vary significantly with the height of the building and, consequently, influence the degradation of different parts of the same building in different ways. In a tall building, the upper part is more prone to higher solar radiation levels, temperature variations, and exposure to wind–rain action. On the other hand, external elements at the bottom are more susceptible to high levels of pollution, especially in city centres. In this sense, the main purpose of this study was to analyse the degradation processes in buildings with different heights and understand whether the processes and maintenance requirements are statistically different. A sample of 203 natural stone claddings (NSC), located in Portugal, was used as case study. The sample was collected based on the diagnosis of the degradation condition of these claddings through in situ visual inspections. To predict the degradation process of NSC over time, a stochastic service life prediction model, based on Petri nets (PN), was implemented. This model allows evaluating the performance of NSC by encompassing the uncertainty of the future performance of the claddings. The results obtained through the degradation and maintenance models were compared with real case studies to highlight the real impact of buildings' height subjected to environmental exposure conditions on the maintainability of NSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance by the construction industry of recycled concrete as a sustainable alternative material is contingent upon a reliable assessment of its permeability to corrosive agents. This study analyses the transport mechanisms associated with chloride (Cl−), oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) ions in concrete with cement made with 10% or 25% ground recycled concrete (GRC) separately or in combination with 50% mixed recycled aggregate (MRA). The findings show that, irrespective of aggregate type, concrete with GRC exhibited lower resistance to ingress than conventional concrete due to its greater porosity. Nonetheless, O2 permeability was consistently below 4.5 × 10−17 m2 and CO2 penetration, under 4 mm/year0.5, indicative of concrete with high quality. Resistance to CO2 and Cl− penetration in the materials with 10% GRC was similar to the values observed in conventional concrete. On the other hand, the incorporation of 25% GRC increased the penetration of CO2 and Cl- by 106% and 38%, respectively. Further to those findings in normal carbonation environments, reinforcement passivity would be guaranteed in such recycled materials over a 100 year service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In condition-based maintenance plans, the schedule of inspections is an important step. Condition-based actions are performed according to prescribed condition criteria (i.e., condition, cost, availability, among other factors), and the main purpose of inspections is to evaluate the façade's condition and plan its correction in order to reduce the risk of failure of the cladding. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to implement multi-objective optimization to understand whether there is an optimal time interval for performing the inspections. For that purpose, a Petri-net condition maintenance model is used to assess the influence of different maintenance plans on the overall degradation of natural stone claddings. In this model, the maintenance activities can only be performed after an inspection has been carried out. The definition of the best maintenance policy results in a conflict of objectives. Owners/managers seek to achieve a maintenance strategy that minimizes service life costs and maintain the cladding in a safe and minimal degradation condition. Multi-objective optimization procedures are capable of considering several conflicting objectives. In this paper, the objective functions considered are minimization of the service life costs, maximization of the efficiency index, maximization of the service life, and minimization of the total number of replacements over the time horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintenance decision-making involves a series of multiple objectives, some of them contradictory. Usually, stakeholders intend to find the optimal maintenance strategy, to minimize the economic burden, while simultaneously maximizing the buildings' performance. In this study, a condition-based maintenance model, based on Petri nets, is proposed to evaluate the consequences of alternative maintenance strategies to maintain and improve the performance of ceramic claddings. This maintenance model is a full life-cycle model that integrates the stochastic assessment of the degradation condition of the claddings, and also inspections, maintenance and renewal processes. Three maintenance strategies are considered: (i) major intervention only; (ii) combination of minor and major interventions; and (iii) combination of cleaning operations, minor and major interventions. The uncertainties associated with the degradation process, as well as with the definition of the effects of maintenance actions are considered by modelling the transitions times in Petri nets as random variables. Considering the complexity of Petri nets, the statistical descriptors of the performance of the assets (e.g., mean condition, probability of applying maintenance) were computed using Monte Carlo simulation. The impact of the different maintenance strategies in the claddings' service life is discussed, comparing the different alternatives also from an economic point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study intends to develop a methodology for service life prediction of ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite System), based on the factor method. The methodology adopted is based on data collected during visual inspections of buildings under current conditions of occupation and exposure, contemplating the degradation mechanisms and the characteristics of ETICS. This research can also provide a suitable tool to aid the planning, implementation and rational use of building management systems in several ways, namely: i) improvement of the materials' performance, based on the optimization of maintenance actions, use of resources and maintenance costs; ii) selection of the best constructive solution, based on the knowledge of the evolution of degradation of ETICS, according to their characteristics; iii) analysis of the economic and environmental impacts of buildings during their life cycle, based on the knowledge of the number of replacements required during this period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flat roofs have had been gaining in popularity in several countries, and the roof is one of the building envelope elements where most thermal exchanges with the exterior occur, and this considerably influences the thermal performance of buildings. There is little international information on the joint thermal and economic performance, on the relevant methods of analysis, or on the comparison of various types of flat-roofing systems. A group of 472 flat roofs were studied, including roofs with limited access, accessible for people, and accessible for vehicles. All the costs associated with the lifecycle of flat roofs were estimated to find the most advantageous solutions in economic and energetic terms. It was found that material acquisition and execution costs are the most determinant; inverted flat roofs with limited accessibility are more economical; lightweight concrete with expanded polystyrene granules used as shaping layer and atactic polypropylene polymer bituminous or polyvinyl chloride thermoplastic membranes are the most economical solutions. The results achieved could help decision makers when selecting the flat-roof system to be used in each building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a methodology for the service life prediction of architectural concrete facades is proposed, following a research line previously developed for other types of claddings, to evaluate their durability. The methodology developed is based on the collection of data in visual inspections. In this study, 174 facades were analysed, during the fieldwork phase, through a survey of the different degradation phenomena. This information is used to define degradation curves, which graphically express the loss of performance of architectural concrete facades over time, evaluating the influence of the degradation agents, allowing estimating a reference service life for this type of coating. The model proposed in this study leads to acceptable and consistent results, adequately translating the degradation observed in reality. However, for some characteristics of architectural concrete facades, it is not possible to obtain unequivocal conclusions, which reveals the high susceptibility of these coatings to the aggressive environmental agents, e.g. sea salts, which act simultaneously on the facade, hindering the determination of the separate influence of these characteristics on the degradation found. This study intends to give a contribution to the service life prediction of exterior facades, allowing defining rational maintenance plans and reducing the costs associated to the buildings refurbishment during their life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service life prediction assumes a primary role as it allows a more rational use of construction elements. This constitutes a useful tool in the definition of preventive maintenance plans providing an increase in performance. The main objective of this research is the development of a statistical methodology for the service life prediction of external painted surfaces. This research is based on field data collected via a survey of the state of deterioration of in-service buildings. The degradation is defined by a number of factors that together contribute to the deterioration of painted surfaces thus ending their service life. In this study a mathematical model was defined using a multiple linear regression analysis and this enables the coating's deterioration over time to be expressed as a function of various degradation factors. 220 painted coatings were inspected in 160 buildings of varying construction types. Analytical tools were devised to monitor the performance of paint coatings on walls and estimate their service life. This study contributes to the automation of the maintenance of painted facades, allowing a more rational management of the maintenance of buildings, converted into economic and performance gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is increasingly used to quantify the environmental impacts of construction materials. However, the relationship between the durability and LCA of these complex products with long life-cycles must be analysed in detail, namely using stochastic data from service life prediction (SLP) studies. However, SLP uncertainty is not yet considered in LCA, thus resulting in insufficiently sound decisions at the design stage. This paper presents the modelling of the uncertainty of SLP using advanced statistical methods and its application in the estimation of SL and corresponding number of replacements of claddings (renderings and stone claddings). These results are used in an interdisciplinary study of SLP and LCA to apply in the stochastic comparison of the LCA of claddings. This methodology aids in the choice of the option with better environmental performance right at the design stage, via the comparison of their standard, deterministic and stochastic LCA results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last few years have seen expressions of concern about the sustainability of construction from all actors in the sector. The durability of the materials used has, in particular, been mentioned as a determining factor in increasing the service life of structures and consequently in reducing energy consumption and environmental impacts as a whole. With the introduction of new products and/or the adoption of new constructive techniques it has become necessary to develop the fields of durability and service life prediction of construction products, with the purpose of evaluating their performance throughout their life cycle. A model to estimate the service life of natural stone claddings is put forward, based on the factor method initially proposed by the Architectural Institute of Japan. This method involves the appraisal of the degradation phenomena in stone claddings under real use conditions, through a field survey. 269 stone claddings located in Portugal were analysed. The factors that affect the durability of natural stone claddings were examined. The quantification of the factors affecting the durability of stone claddings is affected by some subjectivity. Therefore it does not seem viable to propose standard values that can be applied in all circumstances. Analysis of the scenarios proposed for that quantification shows that the use of generic values for durability factors, such as those in ISO 15686:2000, does not lead to the best results. The best solution is to adopt durability factors adjusted to the reality of the phenomenon to be modelled at a regional or local scale. This is a first approach to applying the factor method to estimate the service life of natural stone cladding. It is considered that the method proposed shows very promising results, though it still needs to be supplemented, particularly in terms of the comprehensiveness of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial resources available for infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation are always limited, which creates a need for efficient resources' management and for the ability to predict maintenance actions throughout the infrastructure's service life. In the context of bridges, management systems have been developed and are already implemented around the world. A much larger variety of maintenance problems and a reduced number of buildings per owner mean that building management systems (BdMSs) are still quite rare. Actually, efficient methods for the service life prediction of building materials still need to be developed. This paper discusses the service life prediction methods used in building components based on deterministic, stochastic or engineering methods. The architecture of a recently developed BdMS –BuildingsLife– is presented, where the service life analysis of components is based on an initial statistical analysis of anomalies obtained from the inspection of in-use buildings. This method analyses the corresponding degradation through the use of deterministic and stochastic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research presented in this paper is related to the durability of cement renders on façades, based on fieldwork data relative to the condition and extent of degradation of 100 façades of residential buildings in Portugal. Deterioration paths are obtained for staining, cracking, and detachment that show the loss of performance of the façade over time until a critical minimum acceptance level is reached, which is considered an estimated durability limit. These degradation patterns are analyzed individually to confirm whether any of three types of defects can effectively be considered limit states for the durability of cement renders on façades. The combined effect of all the defects that occur is also modeled as a single degradation path, and the expected service life is quantified. The results confirm that detachment constitutes a limit state of cement-rendered façades because it directly affects the physical durability of renders. Staining and cracking alone do not generally tend to signal the end of the physical durability threshold of renders, regardless of their impact on the performance and visual quality of the façade. However, when all degradation mechanisms are considered simultaneously, the estimated durability intervals correspond to a 50% additional decrease of the physical durability limit of renders. These results are in line with the general perception of damage to the façade, on which the decision to repair is based. The conclusions suggest that actual service life should be used (as reference service life), as opposed to durability data obtained through limit state conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Maintenance strategies are essential to control the first stages of degradation and prevent the failure of building elements. The selection of the most cost-effective and appropriate strategies can enable better budget allocation and can also minimize the decline in the performance of buildings during their whole life cycle. This paper characterizes a systematic methodology for selecting optimal maintenance strategies for façades based on different maintenance policies and interaction with the user. Life-cycle cost analysis is used to compare different maintenance scenarios using equivalent uniform annual cost (EUAC) for five façades’ claddings. These scenarios are compared through the simulation of performance–degradation models and characterization of several parameters: service life, performance, minimum level of quality, maintenance operations, frequency and costs. The results allow the comparison of preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. This methodology, the result of a two-year academic research program, is intended to help clients, users, practitioners and decision-makers in the choice of facades’ interventions (type, frequency and cost estimation) at buildings’ design and post-occupancy stages. Finally, the future drawbacks and benefits of this study are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Expansion joints are current equipment applied to almost every type of bridge with relatively high maintenance costs. Furthermore, their service life is generally short (often below 10 years) and lower than the bridge expected service life (over 50 years). In this paper, the results of an inspection campaign of 150 expansion joints in road bridges, the first comprehensive survey of the kind, are presented. They allow knowing and characterizing more properly the expansion joints installed in Portuguese roads and highways, namely in terms of their typology, pathology and rehabilitation. It was concluded that: (a) some types of joints have been systematically replaced (open joints, nosing joints with poured sealant, buried joints under continuous surfacing, steel sliding plates); (b) made-to-order joints are no longer prescribed; (c) the transition strip and the anchorage cavities need more maintenance and more frequent rehabilitation than other parts; (d) installment errors and lack of maintenance are the most frequent causes of pathology; (e) direct or indirect visual observation is still the best diagnosis method; and (f) the importance of the defects found depends a lot on the type of joint and of the defect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Façade claddings, as the outer protection layer of the building's envelope, are directly exposed to environmental degradation agents. The façades' orientation and their distance from the sea, among other location and protection-related factors, influence their vulnerability to climate loads, in particular wind and air humidity. These loads, as well as exposure to air pollution, affect the degradation process of claddings and the durability of façades. Therefore, studying the impact of the environmental exposure conditions on the service life of different external claddings provides useful information on their performance over time, which can support (i) decision-makers in the selection of the best façade cladding solutions and (ii) further research on the impact of climate change on building components. This study covers six types of cladding: rendered façades (R), natural stone cladding (NSC), ceramic tiling system (CTS), painted surfaces (PS), external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS), and architectural concrete façades (ACF). Three hundred façades located in Portugal are analysed according to three main groups of variables, which characterize (i) the façades, (ii) their degradation condition, and (iii) the environmental deterioration loads and context. The statistical analysis results reveal that the environmental variables affect the cladding degradation process. South-oriented façades present lower degradation conditions than façades facing north. The distance from the sea and high exposure to pollutants add to the degradation conditions, reducing the expected service life of façades. The results reveal that claddings can be organized according to two main groups: the most durable (CTS, NSC, and ACF) and the least durable (R, PS, and ETICS) systems. This study enables a comprehensive analysis of the data, useful to draw conclusions about the influence of environmental exposure conditions on the degradation and service life of façade claddings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now more than ever, the construction sector is aiming to adopt more sustainable solutions. To achieve this purpose, more durable solutions must be adopted, making rational decisions at the design and maintenance stages regarding the conditions of environmental exposure and use. In this sense, knowledge regarding the service life of building components is crucial. This knowledge should not be a general concept, or a standard value, and adapting practices from one country to another is extremely challenging. In this sense, this study analyses the service life of natural stone claddings. We adopt a methodology initially proposed for Lisbon (Portugal), intending to evaluate its applicability to other geographical contexts, in order to perform a more reliable service life prediction of stone claddings located in Tehran (Iran). An estimated service life of 65 years was obtained for a sample of 162 stone claddings directly adhered to the substrate, located in Tehran, which were analysed by in situ inspections. The impact of different conditions (e.g., type of stone and environmental exposure conditions) on the service life of stone claddings in Tehran was quantified, which revealed that the exposure to environmental agents, such as wind, rain and pollutants, is the main cause of degradation of the natural stone claddings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Façades, as the most external building envelope component, are subject to different ex-ternal environmental loads, such as: Temperature, precipitation, damp, and wind. Therefore, the contribution of environmental actions to the occurrence of defects in façades claddings is an important subject of study since these actions strongly affect the degradation process and natural ageing of these components during their service life. In this study, a methodology to support decision-makers in the process of selecting a façade cladding system and the maintenance strategy to implement is presented and discussed. This methodology covers the performance of four façade claddings (ceramic tiling systems (CTS), natural stone claddings (NSC), external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS), and architectural concrete façades (ACF)) over time, according to three environmental exposure variables (exposure to damp, distance from the sea, and orientation). The databases were established based on the diagnosis of the degradation condition of these claddings in-service conditions, in Portugal. The results reveal that the environmental exposure variables have a significant impact on maintenance requirements and costs. For all the categories of the environmental exposure condition variables, under all scenarios, ETICS is the least favorable constructive solution while CTS is the most advantageous solution. Furthermore, the results show that properly implemented maintenance activities enhance the performance level of building components, which positively affects their degradation behavior over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood is a natural, sustainable, and renewable material, which has been used as flooring for centuries, but not enough is known about its durability and performance over time when subjected to different degradation agents. This study proposes a methodology for the service life prediction of wood flooring systems, considering the impact of different factors that influence the floors' durability. For that purpose, a fieldwork survey is performed to evaluate the degradation phenomena of 96 indoor wood floorings in-use conditions, located in Portugal. The data collected are converted into degradation patterns that graphically illustrate the loss of performance of wood floorings over time. An estimated service life of 44 years is obtained. This study thus allows quantifying the impact of various characteristics on the indoor wood floorings' service life. The results reveal the high importance of the type of protection, the type of wood, and the type of floor (with a range of estimated service life values of around 18, 17 and 16 years, respectively). This study is a first step to understanding the degradation mechanisms of the wood flooring systems, in order to extend their service life, while allowing optimising of maintenance actions, thus promoting the durability and sustainability of these floorings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insurance market deliberately excludes the buildings' envelope from their insurance policies, neglecting all the damage that can be caused by the degradation process or ageing of the materials. This stance is mainly due to the lack of knowledge in terms of risk and costs associated to the failure of these elements. Even though the building and its elements are the most valuable asset of any owner, most often homeowners do not adopt effective preventive measures to mitigate the deterioration and obsolescence of their assets. This study proposes an innovative methodology for the design of insurance policies for buildings' envelopes, applied to natural stone facade claddings. The insurance product is defined based on deterministic and stochastic service life prediction models, established through the past degradation history of 142 natural stone claddings analyzed in service conditions in Portugal. Single-parameter (only analyzing the cladding's age) and multiparameter (encompassing the relevant variables) models are applied in the calculation of the insurance premium. The expected claims are related with the performance of maintenance actions and established according to three degradation levels. The results obtained reveal that an increased knowledge about the insured cladding leads to a reduction of the risk margin and consequently, to a lower annual value of commercial premium paid by a household. This study proposes an innovative solution for tailoring the insurance products, in terms of the risk of failure of the buildings components, as well as the financial charges related with the maintenance of these elements, channeling the risks to the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A statistical survey on the pathology and rehabilitation of linoleum and vinyl floorings is presented. It is based on the visual inspection of 101 vinyl and linoleum floorings, in six health infrastructures in Lisbon, Portugal, which enabled the validation of the classification/nomenclature previously proposed, as well as the corresponding correlation matrices. It was also possible to identify the most common types of anomalies, their probable causes, the most adequate in situ diagnosis methods, and the most useful repair techniques. Anomalies, diagnosis methods, and repair techniques files were also validated. The obtained data enabled anomalies to be related to their causes, in situ diagnosis methods, and respective repair techniques e.g., a high number of scratches/wear were detected associated with dragging of equipment. The conclusions drawn intend to raise awareness among the industry actors and minimize the development of anomalies and their causes at the design and application stages. Furthermore, the main sensitive issues of the cladding system during its service life were revealed, highlighting the importance of a correct maintenance plan to minimize the surface's susceptibility to various degradation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • This study intends to predict the service life of ceramic claddings. • For that purpose, the factor method is used, in a deterministic and a probabilistic way. • 96 ceramic claddings are analysed, located in Brasília, Brazil. • The most relevant degradation factors are identified and quantified. • The service life is given by an average value and by a probability distribution. Abstract Buildings and their systems naturally tend to deteriorate over time, losing some of their original properties. The buildings' envelope is more susceptible to the degradation process, due to its higher exposure to adverse conditions, especially in relation to climatic environmental degradation agents. The characteristics of the buildings' envelope systems must be maintained for a specified minimum period of time, in order to fulfil the users' needs and expectations. This can be achieved by adopting adequate maintenance policies, which allow avoiding serious and dangerous degradation levels, also promoting a higher durability and service life for these elements. The adoption of rational and suitable maintenance strategies is only possible through the knowledge regarding the degradation process of these elements over time, estimating the instant after which it is necessary to intervene. Therefore, this study intends to develop a model, based on the factor method, to predict the service life of ceramic tiling systems in Brasília-Brazil. The methodology considers the application of the factor method using a deterministic and a probabilistic approach. In the deterministic approach, the durability factors are quantified as absolute values, leading to an estimated service life also given by an absolute value. In the probabilistic approach, each durability factor and the estimated service life for each case study within the sample are given by a probability distribution function. The probabilistic approach encompasses the variability and probability associated with the presence of a given characteristic or durability factor; in this sense, this approach allows obtaining relevant information regarding the risk of failure of the element under analysis, which allow improving the effectiveness of the definition of maintenance strategies. The results obtained seem coherent, stressing the relevance of the quality of design, the characteristics of the material and the exposure to the environmental conditions, for the deterioration of ceramic tiling systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the built heritage presents clear signs of degradation, requiring in some situations an urgent intervention. The majority of defects can be avoided or mitigated at the design and execution stages, but the designers and stakeholders often neglect the maintainability of the buildings and components, thus compromising their performance and durability. It is thus necessary to adopt an integrated approach during the buildings life cycle, evaluating their performance over time, the influence of the degradation agents and mechanisms on their durability and service life, and the adoption of cost-effective maintenance strategies. In this sense, it is crucial to use quantitative information related with the performance of building components over time. This study intends to respond to this need by proposing a methodology for the service life prediction of pitched roofs’ ceramic claddings, which are the most common type of roofing system adopted in Portugal and in many countries around the world. These elements are one of the most vulnerable in a building, more exposed to the degradation agents, and with a higher incidence of defects. The method proposed is validated based on a visual inspection campaign, performed in 85 buildings and 146 claddings located in Portugal, with a total area of 43,991.6 m 2 . Various degradation patterns are established based on the roofs’ characteristics, evaluating their influence on the roof claddings’ service life. The proposed methodology allows obtaining coherent results, providing relevant information regarding the pitched roofs ceramic claddings’ service life, aiding the adoption of rational and integrated maintenance strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings' façades play an important role in the protection of buildings and, therefore, their envelope system must comply with its function, fulfilling the performance requirements and withstanding the external environmental agents during the buildings' life cycle. Although the degradation of buildings is a natural process, there are various factors that influence their durability. The assessment of the buildings' durability and service life is a research field that brings together several knowledge areas, e.g. construction technology, building physics and meteorology. This paper intends to identify the main factors that influence the durability of adhesive ceramic external wall claddings, developing models to predict their service life that involve these variables. The service life prediction models proposed in this study are defined based on simple and multiple regression analysis, both linear and nonlinear. The proposed models are defined based on the in situ evaluation of the degradation condition of 96 ceramic claddings of residential buildings in Brasília. The methodology led to coherent results and its applicability and adequacy to predict the service life of ceramic claddings in Brasília is demonstrated. The knowledge regarding the influence of the façades' characteristics on their durability is extremely useful to designers, in order to improve the selection of a given cladding for a specific situation, and to managers and stakeholders, allowing the optimization of maintenance policies and thus increasing the sustainability of the solutions adopted during the buildings' life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a proposal for the assessment of the functional service life of built heritage applying statistical tools is described. A fuzzy inference system is applied in order to establish a ranking in terms of functional service life for the built heritage, thus allowing prioritizing the maintenance and preventive conservation actions in homogeneous groups of buildings, and optimizing the costs involved in maintenance operations. The functionality of a sample of 100 parish churches was evaluated. However, the selection of maintenance strategies for buildings is usually a multiple criteria decision-making problem, encompassing various variables and constraints. Therefore, a multiple linear regression analysis is applied in order to rank the variables in terms of influence in the serviceability estimation of heritage buildings. Currently, social, environmental and economic reasons are raising concern about the durability and functional service life of heritage sites. The results obtained in this study are useful to researchers and stakeholders responsible for the maintenance of historical buildings, since they allow reducing their probability of failure. The preventive maintenance programs can be considered as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable option to extend the serviceability of heritage buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]