This publication meets a growing demand within the construction industry for rigorous data on the durability of building components and materials. Construction clients are increasingly concerned with the long term maintenance costs of their buildings and are demanding rigorous durability data to enable such costs to be predicted and optimized. One such client, the UK Ministry of Defence, has commissioned this publication to address that demand. It comprises a comprehensive source of building component life-span and maintenance data for commercial and industrial building components, following the same format as the HAPM component life manual for domestic buildings. Each building component is allocated its own data sheet on which a number of generic descriptions are provided together with assessed life-spans and maintenance requirements, and reference to the relevant standards and codes of practice. In an industry where there is an increasing trend towards performance-based specifications, coupled with the growing interest in insurance against premature component failure, the book is a tool which should enable durability issues to be properly assessed during design and construction.