The Consideration of Service life of Natural Stone Cladding, as a Design Variable

Durability is an integral part of modern building design. The demands for innovative building techniques and the inclusion of materials and components, with lower life-cycle cost the knowledge and skills of building designers. The pressing need for reliable information about the role of durability in the building design process, has led to the formation of extensive research, which has been carried out on durability of building materials and components. In accordance with the literature, this paper intends to demonstrate the relationship between natural stone claddings' defects and their probable causes, by analysis of 162 samples, inspected in Tehran, Iran, in order to determine the importance of considering of service life, as a design factor.