Durability/Resiliency

Durability and resilience are closely related but have slightly different implications. Durability refers to a product or system that is long lived, having characteristics that allow for it to withstand the anticipated conditions to which it will be exposed, while continuing to maintain its function or purpose. For instance, a siding material will be exposed to weather, including wind, sun, rain, and hail. On occasion, it may be exposed to the occasional baseball or lawn mower. We look for siding materials that maintain their shape and color, resist bulk water penetration, and do not crack easily.

Durability is also linked to maintenance in the sense that a product may last 100 years, with the condition that it is regularly painted, waterproofed, and so on. Quite often, you will be evaluating the durability of a product on a relative scale. How does one product compare with another option to fulfill the same function?

Resilience is quickly coming to be the focal point of good building design. Whether because of the numerous natural disasters in recent history around the country and around the world, the growing concerns about climate change, or the increasing interconnectedness and complexity of systems, building science professionals are looking to materials and detailing that will allow for a building to “bounce back” after a severe event. A number of elements can improve the resilience of a building:

• Redundancy.
• Flexibility.
• Adaptability.
• Self-sufficiency.
• Durability.