CSA S478:19 PDF Download

The CSA S478:19 standard is the second edition of the guideline that provides criteria and requirements for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and renovation of durable buildings and building elements. It supersedes the first edition published in 1995. The second edition has been developed as a Standard to be referenced in the National Building Code of Canada.

The scope of the standard includes criteria for the design of a durable building and its elements, as well as provisions for cost analysis, quality management, and compliance criteria for construction processes. It applies to buildings and building elements that are required to resist loads from the structure environment, exposed to exterior space or the ground, separate interior space from exterior space or the ground, or separate environmentally dissimilar interior spaces.

The standard includes definitions for performance, failure, service life, and other concepts related to durability. It also provides fundamental durability requirements for new buildings and repair or renovation of existing buildings, compliance criteria for design service life and predicted service life, as well as criteria for construction processes, quality management, and operation, maintenance, and inspection programs.

The standard is intended to be used throughout all stages of the building life cycle, from design conception to handover, and for operation, maintenance, repair, and renovation. Although the standard does not specifically address mechanical systems, electrical systems, and services, they should be taken into account in an integrated design for durability.

It is important to note that this standard does not cover the durability of mechanical systems, electrical systems, and building finishes, except those providing a performance control function. However, these aspects should be considered in the overall design for durability.