Mat 05 Designing for durability and resilience

(all buildings)

Number of credits available Minimum standards
1 No

Aim

To recognise and encourage adequate protection of exposed elements of the building and landscape, therefore minimising the frequency of replacement and maximising materials optimisation.

Assessment criteria

The following is required to demonstrate compliance:

One credit

Protecting vulnerable parts of the building from damage

1 The building incorporates suitable durability and protection measures, or designed features or solutions to prevent damage to vulnerable parts of the internal and external building and landscaping elements. This must include, but is not necessarily limited to:
1.a Protection from the effects of high pedestrian traffic in main entrances, public areas and thoroughfares (corridors, lifts, stairs, doors etc.)
1.b Protection against any internal vehicular or trolley movement within 1m of the internal building fabric in storage, delivery, corridor and kitchen areas
1.c Protection against, or prevention from, any potential vehicular collision where vehicular parking and manoeuvring occurs within 1m of the building façade for all car parking areas and within 2m for all delivery areas.

Protecting exposed parts of the building from material degradation

2 The relevant parts of the building incorporate appropriate design and specification measures to limit material degradation due to environmental factors (see Methodology for the process to assess this criterion).

See Table 47 for a list of applicable elements, environmental factors and material degradation effects to consider.

Checklists and tables

Table 47: Applicable building elements, environmental factors and material degradation effects to consider

Applicable building elements, environmental factors and material degradation effects
Applicable building elements
  1. Foundation, substructure, lowest floor, retaining walls
  2. External walls
  3. Roof or balconies
  4. Glazing: windows, skylight
  5. External doors
  6. Railings or balusters (where exposed to external environment)
  7. Cladding (where exposed to external environment)
  8. Staircases or ramps (where exposed to external environment)
  9. Hard landscaping.
Environmental factors
  1. Environmental agents, including:
    1. Solar radiation
    2. Temperature variation
    3. Water or moisture
    4. Wind
    5. Precipitation, e.g. rain and snow
    6. Extreme weather conditions: high wind speeds, flooding, driving rain, snow
  2. Biological agents, including:
    1. Vegetation
    2. Pests, insects
  3. Pollutants, including:
    1. Air contaminants
    2. Ground contaminants.
Material degradation effects (includes, but not necessarily limited to the following)
  1. Corrosion
  2. Dimensional change, e.g. swelling or shrinkage
  3. Fading or discolouration
  4. Rotting
  5. Leaching
  6. Blistering
  7. Melting
  8. Salt crystallisation
  9. Abrasion.

Compliance notes

Ref

Terms

Description
Shell and core (non-residential and residential institutions only)

CN1

Applicable assessment criteria

Protecting vulnerable parts of the building from damage - criterion 1

Where the identified vulnerable parts of the building form part of the shell and core developer's remit:

Both options: All assessment criteria relevant to the building type and function apply and must be accounted for in the assessment of this issue.

Where the identified vulnerable parts of the building do not form a part of the shell and core developer's remit, e.g. they are in lettable areas and compliance is subject to the tenant's or future occupier's fit-out specification:

Both options: These areas can be excluded from assessment.

Protecting exposed parts of the building from material degradation - criterion 2

Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply.

Refer to Appendix D – Shell and core project assessments for a more detailed description of the shell and core assessment options.
Residential - Partially fitted and fully fitted

CN2

Applicable assessment criteria - Single dwellings

Protecting vulnerable parts of the building from damage - criterion 1

Both options: Criteria 1.a and 1.b are not applicable.

Protecting exposed parts of the building from material degradation - criterion 2

Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply.

Refer to Appendix E – Applicability of BREEAM New Construction to single and multiple dwellings, partially and fully fitted for a more detailed description of residential assessment options.
CN2.1 Applicable assessment criteria - Multiple dwellings

Protecting vulnerable parts of the building from damage - criterion 1

Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply.

Protecting exposed parts of the building from material degradation - criterion 2

Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply.

Refer to Appendix E – Applicability of BREEAM New Construction to single and multiple dwellings, partially and fully fitted for a more detailed description of residential assessment options.
General

CN3

Suitable durability measures.

See criterion 1.

Suitable durability and protection measures to vulnerable parts of the building can include:

  1. Bollards or barriers, or raised kerbs to delivery and vehicle drop-off areas
  2. Robust external wall construction, up to 2m high
  3. Protection rails to walls of corridors
  4. Kick plates or impact protection (from trolleys etc.) on doors
  5. Hard-wearing and easily washable floor finishes in heavily used circulation areas (i.e. main entrance, corridors, public areas etc.)
  6. Designing out the risk without the need for additional materials specification to protect vulnerable areas.

CN3.1

Vehicle impact protection.

See criterion 1.c.

Any vehicle impact protection measures specified must be positioned at an adequate distance from the building to protect the fabric from impact from any vehicle with a measurable overhang of the body from the wheel track, in particular for any goods delivery areas.

In vehicle movement areas only: where the external robust wall construction is specified to comply with the credit, additional protection must be provided to ensure against potential damage to the robust façade from vehicle movement, i.e. specifying bollards or protection rails.

CN3.2

Preventing excessive material use

The specification or design measures chosen should reflect the need to balance the additional specification of materials with the need to protect building elements to minimise their replacement, insuring against excessive material use and promoting materials optimisation.

See Mat 06 Material efficiency.

CN3.3

Public or common areas Consideration should be given to materials specification in public or common areas (especially public waiting areas and toilet areas) to provide protection against potential malicious or physical abuse, as far as possible.

Methodology

Protecting exposed parts of the building from material degradation

The following outlines the process to assess criterion 2 for newly specified materials and construction elements:

  1. Identify from the list of 'applicable building elements' under Table 47 the elements that are appropriate to the building being assessed.
  2. Establish from the 'environmental factors' list those factors that are likely to cause material degradation effects in the identified applicable building elements.
  3. Confirm the design and specification measures in place to limit these degradation effects.
  4. The assessor should use their professional judgment in determining whether the design team have adequately demonstrated that they have designed and specified materials or measures which will be effective in preventing unnecessary deterioration, so reducing frequent replacements, repairs and maintenance through the life cycle of the building.
  5. At the post-construction stage, where the design and specification measures installed differ from those proposed at the design stage, the assessor must ensure that these measures still meet the aims of the criterion as detailed in point 4.

Evidence

Criteria Interim design stage Final post-construction stage
1

Design drawings illustrating vulnerable areas or parts of the building.

Design drawings or specification confirming the durability of the measures specified.

Assessor’s building or site inspection, or photographic evidence confirming compliance.

2

Design drawings confirming the applicable elements.

Documentary evidence for the environmental factors and material degradation effects considered relevant to the building.

Design and specification measures in place to limit degradation effects.

Where relevant manufacturer's technical details confirming the material degradation effect militated by the specified product.

 As interim design stage and based on as-built drawings.

Additional information

Relevant definitions

Materials efficiency
Refer to BREEAM issue Mat 06 Material efficiency

Other information

None.