Author

P.R. BINGEL and A. BOWN

Leeds Metropolitan University

Abstract

A programme of research to investigate and quantify the whole life environmental performance of brick masonry walling is described.This paper gives details of the work carried out to obtain information on specific aspects of post?factory gate performance, namely, the amount of maintenance and repair carried out on brick masonry walling in low rise residential and commercial buildings, and the potential life span of bricks and walling.

As masonry has the potential to last hundreds of years, whole life performance is evaluated at a variety of ages ranging from 60 to 500 years. The results are then compared with published data. The environmental impacts of other building elements are also considered.

Key words
masonry, environmental impacts, whole life performance