ABSTRACT
This chapter helps readers to understand the unique family of defects that afflict buildings specific to tropical regions and appreciate the potential of sustainable refurbishment in tropical climates. However, as buildings and construction practice have homogenised internationally to reflect a 'global' construction form for modern commercial buildings, the approach to dealing with pathology and defects has changed. In the tropics, developing countries in particular, building maintenance technology is currently vastly underrated and ignored by property owners, managers and professionals. Water and moisture play a large role in affecting buildings in the tropical region. Flat roof design solutions have been a common feature in commercial buildings, predominantly in high rise construction even in the tropical climate. Due to the massive nature of movement and damages caused by natural disasters such as landslips, sinkholes, earthquakes and tsunamis, the impact on building structure and fabric is often catastrophic in tropical areas.
