A argamassa é um material largamente utilizado na construção civil, desempenhando diversas funções. Entretanto, muitas falhas vêm sendo observadas nos revestimentos de argamassa, principalmente nas fachadas. O aparecimento de manifestações patológicas em um edifício compromete a sua estética e o conforto ambiental, ocasionando uma desvalorização do mesmo perante o mercado, aumento insatisfação dos usuários e também elevados gastos com reparos e manutenção. Outro problema é a grande incidência de perdas de materiais, que resultam em prejuízos financeiros às empresas, além de acarretar a geração de entulho, que muitas vezes não recebe o devido tratamento e disposição final, tendo um impacto negativo também no meio ambiente. O objetivo dessa dissertação é identificar as causas do baixo desempenho de revestimentos de fachada de argamassa em edifícios e propor diretrizes para melhoria deste processo. Foram desenvolvidos oito estudos de caso em empresas construtoras de Porto Alegre - RS. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizadas várias ferramentas de descrição de processos e de avaliação do seu desempenho.Os principais resultados indicaram uma série de problemas no processo: alta variabilidade nas espessuras de revestimento, nos traços utilizados durante a confecção das argamassas e nos métodos de produção, inclusive dentro de uma mesma obra, elevadas perdas de materiais e de mão-de-obra, baixa produtividade, decorrente do inadequado dimensionamento das equipes de produção e de problemas no sistema de movimentação e armazenamento de materiais, e manifestações patológicas em revestimentos recentemente concluídos. Ao final do trabalho, é proposto um método de avaliação do processo de revestimento de argamassa em fachadas, são identificadas e descritas boas práticas introduzidas pelas empresas e são sugeridas melhorias no processo estudado. / Mortar is a widely used material in various functions in the construction industry. Nevertheless, many fails have been observed in rendering, mainly in façades. The incidence of building pathologies negatively affects its aesthetics and environmental comfort, and may result in a reduction of its market value, low degree of user satisfaction, and also high repair and maintenance costs. Another problem is the high incidence of materials waste, that causes financial losses, as well as generates site waste, which often does not receive an adequate treatment and final disposal, having also a negative impact in the environment. The main objective of this dissertation is to identify the main causes of low performance of building external rendering in mortar and to propose guidelines for improving this process. Case studies were carried out in eight different construction companies form Porto Alegre – RS. Several data collection tools were used for describing the main processes involved and assessing their performance. The investigation pointed out the problems in this process: high variability in rendering thickness, in mortar proportions, and in production methods, even in the same construction site; high percentage of material waste and low labor productivity, due to the inadequate definition of production teams and drawbacks in the material transportation and storage system; and building pathologies in recently concluded rendering. At the end, this study proposes a method for evaluating the process of mortar rendering in façades, identifies and describes best practices introduces by the companies and suggests improvements in that process.

O presente trabalho faz uma avaliação do histórico de desenvolvimento e aplicação de leis de inspeções prediais em geral no Brasil, com foco particular nas leis especificas de inspeção de elementos de fachada. O mesmo busca discutir os papéis dessas leis como instrumentos de gestão de riscos na construção civil, destacando os avanços, limitações e tendências do processo de implantação desse tipo de legislação. A lógica e o conhecimento teórico acumulado na área indicam que a adoção de um sistema de inspeção adequado pode contribuir para a detecção precoce de problemas, que podem então ser corrigidos através de ações de manutenção preventiva, com menor custo e risco para os usuários. Essa é uma demanda fundamental em muitas cidades brasileiras, que apresentam um conjunto de edificações em idade avançada e com problemas de conservação. Sinistros repetidos, culminando na tragédia ocorrida no Rio de Janeiro em 2012, fizeram com que a edição de leis de inspeção entrasse na pauta política de várias administrações e do Congresso Nacional. Todavia, a análise de experiências práticas evidencia que existem dificuldades e obstáculos, culturais, técnicos e econômicos, que necessitam ser discutidos e superados para que uma estratégia de gestão de risco através de leis de inspeção possa ser adotada de forma eficaz. O trabalho busca colaborar com essa discussão, revisando criticamente a experiência de Porto Alegre, um dos primeiros municípios a implantar uma lei de inspeção específica de elementos de fachada, a Lei Municipal nº 6.323/88, regulamentada pelo Decreto 9425. Esses regramentos determinaram que os responsáveis pelas edificações apresentassem à Secretaria Municipal de Obras e Viação (SMOV), a cada 03 anos, um laudo de estabilidade estrutural das marquises localizadas sobre logradouros públicos. Essa lei, popularizada como “Lei das Marquises”, foi criada em resposta a 2 sinistros traumáticos envolvendo a queda de seções de marquises no centro da cidade, ocorridos no final dos anos 80, e teve um impacto importante no estado de conservação do estoque de marquises da cidade. Ao mesmo tempo, representou um marco significativo no histórico de implantação de leis de inspeção no Brasil, tendo influenciado vários outros municípios a adotar legislações semelhantes. Após 30 anos, considera-se importante avaliar seus efeitos e analisar as evoluções e dificuldades enfrentadas em sua aplicação, de forma a que seja possível orientar outras experiências. Essa é a motivação fundamental da pesquisa. Para complementar e enriquecer as análises, o trabalho buscou gerar um indicativo da eficiência e qualidade dos Laudos de Marquise que estão sendo entregues. Com esse intuito, a autora, auxiliada por outros pesquisadores do Grupo LEME/UFRGS, efetuou uma inspeção paralela de 135 estruturas, gerando dados usados para comparação com os constantes em laudos arquivados na Secretaria Municipal de Obras e Viação (SMOV). Em paralelo, se buscou uma forma de avaliar qual a percepção da população acerca dos conceitos associados à implantação de leis de inspeção e estratégias de manutenção preventiva, e estimar qual a aceitação dos custos associados a essas estratégias. Para tanto foi realizado um levantamento de dados, através de entrevistas e questionários, junto a usuários de 24 edificações da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre. Esse esforço evidenciou que existe um bom conhecimento dos riscos e uma aceitação da necessidade de inspeções, mas que o custo ainda é uma barreira. Visando aproveitar e consolidar todo o conhecimento adquirido nessas diversas análises, o trabalho finaliza apresentando uma proposta de diretrizes consideradas úteis para orientar a implantação de leis de inspeção de elementos de fachada. / This study evaluated the history of the development and application of building inspection laws in Brazil in general, with special focus on specific laws for the inspection of façade elements. The role of these laws as risk management tools in civil construction is discussed, stressing developments, limitations and trends of their implementation process. Logics and the theoretical knowledge accumulated on this subject suggest that the adoption of a proper system may allow the early detection of problems, which can then be corrected by preventive maintenance actions, and therefore are less costly and pose fewer risks to the users. This is a critical demand in many Brazilian cities that have many old buildings with conservation problems. Repeated accidents, which culminated in the tragedy in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, inserted the issuing of inspection laws in the political agenda of many local administrations and of the National Congress. However, the analysis of practical experiences shows that there are cultural, technical, and economic obstacles that need to be discussed and overcome to allow the adoption of an efficient risk management strategy based on inspection laws. This study aims at contributing for this discussion making a critical review of the experience of Porto Alegre, which was one of the first cities to implement a specific law for the inspection of façade elements (Municipal Act n. 6.323/88, regulated by Order 9425). These regulations established that those responsible for the building have to present to the local department of works (Secretaria Municipal de Obras e Viação – SMOV) a report on the structural stability of the marquees located on public areas every three years. This so-called “Marquee Act” was issued in response to two severe accidents that involved the fall of marquee sections downtown by the end of the 1980s and that had an important impact on the conservation status of the city’s marquee inventory. It was also a landmark in the history of the implementation of inspection laws in Brazil, as it influenced the adoption of similar legislation in other cities. After 30 years, it is important to evaluate its effects and to analyze the advances and obstacles to their application in order to guide other experiences. This is the main motivation of this research study. In order to complement and enrich the analyses, an indication of efficiency and quality of the marquee reports is pursued. Based on a parallel inspection of 135 structures, made by the author, with the aid of other researchers of the group LEME/UFRGS, data was collected to compare with those reported and filed at the local department of works (SMOV). Also, a survey of the public perception relative to the concepts associated with the implementation of inspection laws and preventive maintenance strategies was carried out, checking the acceptance of the costs associated with these strategies. This assessment was made using interviews and questionnaires applied to users of 24 buildings of the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. The results showed that the population is aware of the risks and accepts the need for inspections, but that cost is still an obstacle. Aiming at using and consolidating the knowledge acquired through these analyses, the study ends proposing some guidelines considered useful for the implementation of façade element inspection laws.

A complexidade do subsistema fachada está relacionada à dificuldade de gerenciamento de todas as etapas que antecedem sua montagem na obra. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho é propor recomendações em todas as etapas de desenvolvimento do processo de projeto da fachada para edifícios comerciais de múltiplos pavimentos ou edificações que, embora de tipologia diferente, adotem sistemas de fachadas semelhantes aos da tipologia de edificações comerciais, como é o caso do edifício hospitalar que integra o estudo de caso desta dissertação. A proposição da metodologia foi baseada em estudos bibliográficos e comparações entre exemplos reais do processo de projeto e produção de empreendimentos em fase de construção. Dessa forma, o desenvolvimento deste trabalho foi dividido em pesquisa dos tipos de fachadas mais utilizados em edifícios comerciais, pesquisa sobre o processo de projeto das fachadas (diretrizes para a concepção, critérios de desempenho, identificação dos agentes da cadeia produtiva), estudos de caso de empreendimentos em fase de construção, análise comparativa dos resultados desses estudos e elaboração das recomendações. Na pesquisa foram contemplados tanto aspectos de gestão quanto de tecnologia, e incorporadas contribuições de profissionais atuantes na cadeia produtiva do desenvolvimento de projetos. As recomendações propostas consideram a melhoria do desenvolvimento do processo de projeto das fachadas nas etapas e atividades de projeto, nas etapas de integração projeto-execução e nos escopos de projeto e consultoria, abordando os aspectos de gestão do processo para projetistas, consultores, coordenadores e construtores. / The complexity of the façade subsystem is related to the difficulty of managing all the stages that take place before its assemblage. Considering this context, the purpose is to propose recommendations to all the phases of the façade development design process of multi-storey commercial buildings which, no matter the different typology, adopt similar façade systems, as is the case of the hospital building under study in this dissertation. The methodology proposed was based on the literature review and comparisons between real design process and production of projects under construction. Thus, the development of this dissertation was divided into: research of the most used facade types in commercial buildings, research into the design façade process (conception guidelines, performance criteria, and recognition of the productive agent chain), case studies of projects under construction, comparative analyses of the results of these studies, and elaboration of the recommendations. Management and technological aspects were considered as well as the contribution of active experts of the productive chain to the process flow. The proposed recommendations take into account the improvement of the façade process flow during the design phase, interface design-construction and design and consultant scope, involving the management process, consultants, coordinators and the construction company.

A necessidade crescente de atividades de manutenção em edificações habitadas, e sua inerente complexidade, tornam a adoção de métodos de gestão de extrema importância para a realização de obras com desempenho técnico e operacional eficientes. Assim, a presente pesquisa discute proposta de método para gestão de obras de manutenção de revestimentos de fachada, concebido em decorrência da necessidade de consolidação de técnicas eficientes para condução desse tipo de atividade. A pesquisa contempla uma fase inicial exploratória que aborda aspectos conceituais fundamentais e descreve relatos de casos acompanhados pelo autor em que as técnicas de gestão foram adotadas de forma não sistêmica, e cuja análise crítica gerou informações importantes para a elaboração da proposta. Em seguida o trabalho mostra a proposição inicial do método, elaborada a partir das discussões relatadas posteriormente na bibliografia e nas considerações oriundas da fase inicial exploratória. Para avaliação da proposta foi realizada uma validação interna de conteúdo, a partir de pesquisas orientadas com especialistas escolhidos mediante critérios de seleção pré-definidos, utilizando método Delphi. Como atividade complementar, foi ainda discutida a eficiência das ações propostas por meio de um estudo de caso prático. As respostas obtidas em ambos os casos indicaram a adequação das ações propostas, o que possibilitou a apresentação do método de gestão final consolidado, considerado cientificamente eficiente. / The increasing need for inherently complex maintenance activities in inhabited buildings makes the adoption of management methods a very important tool for the execution of technically and operationally efficient projects. This research presents the proposal of a method for the management of façade covering maintenance construction projects, conceived as a result of the need for the consolidation of efficient techniques to conduct this type of activity. The research starts with an exploratory phase that addresses fundamental conceptual aspects and describes cases where management techniques were not formally adopted. This critical analysis generated important information for the elaboration of the method. Then the work presents the initial proposal of the method, devised from the discussions subsequently reported in the literature and in the considerations from the initial exploratory phase. For the evaluation of the proposal, an internal validation of content was carried out by means of a guided poll with specialists chosen through pre defined selection criteria using the Delphi Method. As a complementary activity, a practical case study was done in order to assess the efficiency of the method. The feedback obtained in both cases indicated the appropriateness of the proposed actions, allowing the presentation of the final management method, considered to be scientifically efficient.

As argamassas de fachada protegem a edificação, seu conteúdo e revelam sua identidade, funções realçadas quando se trata de patrimônio histórico. Elas sofrem pelo intemperismo, umidade, vandalismo, intervenções malsucedidas e vícios de fabricação. A tese apresenta e aplica uma metodologia de levantamento de danos, materiais e técnicas construtivas, para a conservação ou restauro de argamassas de fachadas históricas. Revisa a literatura de preservação arquitetônica e demonstra a importância desse levantamento. Faz uma compilação dos mecanismos de degradação de argamassas históricas. Traz informações práticas sobre acesso vertical à fachada, definição de objetivos de levantamento, representação da evolução histórica, elaboração de formulários de campo e orçamento. Apresenta proposta de formação de inspetores, revisa a bibliografia e propõe metodologia de levantamento de danos, materiais e métodos construtivos. No levantamento de danos, emprega a inspeção visual e ensaio não destrutivo, por percussão com martelo de bordas em ABS. Revê e propõe critérios de amostragem e protocolos de análises laboratoriais. Emprega análise macroscópica, difração de raios-X (DR-X), petrografia e química por digestão ácida. Traz sugestões quanto à síntese e apresentação dos resultados à equipe de restauração. A metodologia prima pela simplicidade e economicidade, foi desenvolvida através de três estudos de caso, sendo dois no Paço de São Cristóvão Pátio Maior e na fachada principal - e a fachada exterior do futuro Museu da Casa da Moeda do Brasil, ambos no Rio de Janeiro, juntos somando aproximadamente 4.400m² de argamassa. As informações de materiais e métodos construtivos contribuíram para o levantamento histórico e compreensão da patologia. O levantamento de danos por percussão indicou 69% de argamassa comprometida (problemas de aderência ou reposição inadequada) no Pátio Maior, apesar da inspeção visual indicar somente 5% de ausência de argamassa por queda. A demolição cuidadosa das argamassas degradadas comprovou um desvio de apenas 4% do levantamento de danos por percussão. O protocolo de análise laboratorial agrupou as amostras pela inspeção macroscópica e/ou DR-X, realizando análises mais completas apenas em representantes destes grupos. Empregou a DR-X na identificação mineralógica. A petrografia foi muito versátil, agregando informações sobre composição mineralógica, granulometria, porosimetria, traço aproximado e história geológica. O traço foi avaliado através da análise química, comprovada para argamassas de areia, cal e/ou cimento, entretanto limitada na presença de agregado carbonático e/ou argila. Os estudos de caso apresentaram composições de envolvendo cal, areia, saibro, cimento e agregado carbonático. Fragmentos de conchas/corais foram encontrados em diversas amostras. As patologias foram relacionadas a torrões de argila na composição da argamassa, falta de aglomerante e incompatibilidade entre emboço e reboco. A apresentação de resultados na forma de mapas temáticos foi eficaz no ambiente multidisciplinar. A aplicação da metodologia se demonstrou viável e útil no apoio às decisões de restauro de argamassas de fachadas históricas, podendo ser aplicada também a argamassas contemporâneas. / Façade renders protect the building, its content and reveal its identity. Those roles are even more important on cultural heritage buildings. Renders decay under weathering, damp, vandalism, unsuccessful interventions and manufacturing defects. This thesis presents and applies an assessment methodology concerning historical façades plasters, construction methods and damage. The architectural preservation literature is reviewed, highlighting the importance of such assessment. Rendering decay mechanisms are compiled, focused on historical mortars. Practical field information is described, including façade vertical access, assessment objectives definition, historical evolution representation, field forms design and implied costs. An inspector formation proposal is outlined. Materials, construction methods and damage assessment literature are reviewed and a method is proposed. Damage assessment relies on visual inspection and nondestructive essay, using ABS faced hammer percussion. Sampling criteria and laboratory protocols are reviewed and proposed. The proposed protocol applies macroscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), petrography and acid digestion chemical analysis. Suggestions are made concerning results synthesis and presentation to preservation team. Presented methodology, based on simplicity and low cost, was developed during three case studies: two on São Cristóvão Palace Main Court and Main Façade- and the exterior façades of the future Casa da Moeda do Brasil Museum, both in Rio de Janeiro. The three studies account for roughly 4.400 m² of assessed rendered surface. Construction methods and materials assessment contributed to the buildings historical studies and pathology comprehension. Percussion assessment evaluated damage on 69% of the Main Court rendered area, although visual inspection accounted only 5% of missing render. Careful demolition of damaged render proved a 4% deviation from percussion assessment forecast. Laboratory protocol grouped samples based on macroscopic evaluation and/or XRD. Only group representatives were submitted to further analysis. XDR was used for mineralogical identification. Petrography proved a very versatile essay, yielding data on composition, granulometry, porosimetry, approximated formulation and geological history. Plaster composition was evaluated by chemical analysis blind proofed for sand, lime and/or Portland cement, though impaired when carbonate aggregate and clay particles are present. Case studies showed various mortar formulations, comprising lime, sand, clay, cement and carbonate aggregate. Sea shell/reef fragments were found in several samples. Pathology was related to the presence of clay lumps, lack of binder and incompatibility between plaster layers. Thematic maps were successfully used in results presentation to multidisciplinary teams. The proposed methodology is viable and useful, supporting decisions within architectural preservation of historical façades plaster rendering. Contemporary façades can benefit from the methodology as well.

The diploma thesis subject is the proposal of the winery with a focus on the production of quality wine with the attribute and with a capacity of 30 000 bottles per year. The winery provides the possibility of accommodation in 6 units with a total capacity of 14 people with extension for meals. The viticulture is situated in the outskirts of Popice. The winery consists of three first floor detached buildings of a broken elongated shape, SO 01, SO 02 and SO 03, the first one is partially sub-basement. The SO 01 has wine production character in the cellar, the first floor provides background for employees, creates administrative spaces and offers catering for the public. Objects SO 02 and SO 03 serve to accommodate guests, the first one taking into account barrier-free use. Construction system is brick wall, in first floor of ceramic blocks and the cellar from blocks of lost formwork filled with concrete. The façade consists of an ETICS thermal insulation composite system and a ventilated façade. Cellar ceiling structures are solved with monolithic reinforced concrete slabs. The objects are roofed with gable and shad roofs with titan-zinc roof covering and bearing structure made of glued lamellar wood trusses.

La notoriété du plâtre de Paris dépasse les frontières de la France, son utilisation pour le moulage, la sculpture, les décors architecturaux associés aux productions artistiques françaises lui donnèrent ses lettres de noblesse. Le plâtre est avant toute chose un des matériaux les plus utilisé dans la construction francilienne, et l’un des plus visibles. La moitié des bâtiments parisiens et une grande partie du bâti historique d’Île-de-France offrent encore à la vue du passant des façades enduites en plâtre, datant d’entre le XVIIe siècle et le milieu du XXe siècle. Cependant, les enduits de plâtre sont confondus avec des enduits de ciment ou de chaux, sont appelés à tort plâtre-et-chaux et sont parfois recouverts de peintures épaisses qui brouillent leur observation. De ce fait, les enduits, souvent qualifiés d’ouvrages constructifs mineurs, sont peu étudiés et le plâtre reste un matériau encore ignoré malgré un regain d’intérêt de la part des chercheurs sur les matériaux « pauvres » tels que la chaux ou la terre. Les enduits au plâtre ont pourtant une valeur autre qu’historique et technique. L’esthétique de leur riche ornementation qui cisèle les parements d’ombre et de lumière, mais également leurs couleurs et leurs textures, participent pour beaucoup aux ambiances urbaines. Cette étude se propose d’explorer le déclin de l’utilisation du plâtre en façade à travers l’analyse d’un corpus de soixante édifices soit une centaines de façades décrites et intégrées à une base de données et à un Système d’Information Géographique (SIG). Les enduits observés couvrent trois siècles, de l’âge d’or de la pratique au XVIIe siècle jusqu’à la disparition des savoir-faire suite aux grands conflits du XXe siècle, en passant par les changements drastiques dans la fabrication des matériaux lors de la révolution industrielle. La lecture des traités de construction, des journaux, des brevets d’invention et l’étude de devis de maçonnerie et de procès-verbaux d’experts du bâtiment complètent la recherche de terrain par une étude historique. De 1667 aux années 1980, l’usage du plâtre en extérieur est décortiqué à travers l’évolution de l’extraction, de la fabrication, de la mise en œuvre du plâtre et de la conception des façades. La thèse explore comment, de matériau incontournable à la construction, le plâtre est peu à peu relégué aux décors intérieurs au fur et à mesure de l’altération de sa qualité et de la disparition des savoir-faire locaux. / Plaster of Paris’ notoriety exceeds France’s national borders, its use in moulding, sculpture, architectural ornaments in French artistic production built its reputation. Beyond plaster for moulding, gypsum plaster is one of the most used materials for building construction in the Paris area, and one the most obvious one. In fact, half of Paris ancient buildings and a large part of historical buildings in the region Ilede-France have facades covered with gypsum-based renders and ornaments. However, gypsum renders are still mistaken with lime or cement renders, people call them gypsum-and-lime renders and most of them are covered by thick layers of recent paints, making their observation difficult. Renders are often qualified as minor items in the construction field and are not studied much, while external gypsum plaster is still mostly ignored even though there is a renewal for this kind of materials thanks to wider studies on the uses of earth and lime. Gypsum renders, though, have historical and technical values, but are also aesthetically pleasing. Their rich ornamentation carves facades with lights and shadows, colors and textures. The skin of the buildings shapes the urban atmosphere.Our study will explore the rise and fall of external gypsum renders through the analysis of sixty buildings and one hundred facades which have been put into a database and a Geographical Information System (GIS). The studied facades have been built and rendered over three centuries, from the golden age of the seventeenth century to the loss of know-how in the second half of the twentieth century. The period of the industrial revolution is carefully analyzed as the industrial sector experienced drastic changes in the process of making plaster. This fieldwork is completed with historical research based upon the readings of construction treatises, newspapers, invention patents, building cost estimates and building experts’ statements from various centuries. The use of external gypsum renders is analyzed from 1667 until 1980, through the evolution of the extraction, production and execution processes as well as building conception. This report expresses how gypsum plaster was an essential material for construction and slowly became a fragile one, only good to use in decoration and internal works, as its legendary good quality deteriorated and local know-how disappeared.

The dissertation thesis is focused on non-transparent ventilated façade constructions, airflow in the ventilated cavity and the building envelope temperatures in relation with the different parameters of the construction and the ventilated cavity. The aim of this work is to optimize the temperature behavior of the building envelope during the summer season when the overheating is the most distinctive. The numerical and experimental methods with many different variants of façade constructions were used to investigation. The variants were compared and evaluated by the measured values of airflow speed in the ventilated cavity, temperature in the ventilated cavity and on the surfaces of constructions around the cavity. The result of the investigation is the evaluation of the influence of the airflow resistances or the reflectance of the surfaces around the ventilated cavity. Part of the thesis was formulated in relation with the project of MPPF - Multifunctional Plug & Play Facade during the internship at TU Graz. The efficiency of some parts of the energy active façade in this project depends on the temperature. The part of the results is the patented passive system for ventilation of building envelope and the patented cavity panel for ventilated facades.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(工学) / 乙第12983号 / 論工博第4130号 / 新制||工||1637(附属図書館) / 32453 / 台湾国立成功大学大学院工学研究科建築学専攻 / (主査)教授 鉾井 修一, 教授 原田 和典, 教授 神吉 紀世子 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

Buildings require a lot of energy during all their lifetime, from the construction site to the use and demolition. The building sector contributes to a large part of the total emissions of greenhouse gases and consume a large amount of water and energy resources, so the material components used in the building sector have gained an important role in the discourse of sustainability. The tendency is to use natural renewable materials that generates lower environmental impact than conventional ones and are able to fulfil the required structural and architectural needs. Wood is a traditional material with a long and proud history and has been reintroduced in the construction site thanks to its sustainable characteristics. Wood used for building applications, i.e. timber, is capable to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and incorporate so-called carbon storage. Moreover, low process energy requirements and high recyclability increase the potential of timber to become a major building material. On the other hand, the considerable growing demand for highly transparent envelopes has recently resulted in massive introduction of glass as a façade component. The main objective of this thesis was therefore to elaborate on the question if it is possible to merge the positive aspects of these two materials. The thesis starts with a discussion on hybrid, composite and combined materials. The key concept is to merge two or more materials with different characteristics, which result in a finished product with better overall properties than the starting constituents. However, such building material systems are not well categorized and a new term is therefore introduced to describe the combination between wood and glass: engineered wood glass combination (EWGC). The product is then described presenting the characteristics and properties of wood and glass and the structural benefits of the whole panel. The EWGC product possesses some advantageous properties like transparency, stiffness and strength for glass and the ductile nature of timber when used under compression. Moreover, this wood-glass element enables load transfer of horizontal forces through the glass pane so that the additional metal bracing elements for stiffening the building can be omitted. Then the study goes deeper in the architectural possibilities and different potential types of assembly are described. However, only few profiles have been tested and this has resulted in the market production of only one type of panel that is currently used in the construction site. Moreover, the shape of the EWGC is suitable to integrate systems that can control the ventilation rate and solar gains, allowing the development of advanced integrated façades that ensure the comfort condition inside the building. EWGC is also seen to be highly potential as an ecological alternative to conventional structural sealant aluminium-glass façade. For this reason, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of different materials is discussed in order to evaluate their environmental impacts. LCA results are strongly dependent on the calculation boundaries and the choice of database, but it stands out that aluminium, as a construction material for glazing elements, requires up to 4 times higher primary energy demand and produces up to 16 times more CO2 emission than timber based combined panels. Despite some weak points, e.g. the lack of standardized regulations and people’s preconceptions about wood, the overall conclusion is that EWGC has the potential to be used for future building envelopes of multi-storey timber buildings.