Need for structural health assessment of R.C.C. buildings

Abstract

As civil engineering structures get older, there is a need to maintain, repair, retrofit and restore the structures once structural health of the structure is checked and found that it is deteriorating. The structural health is checked by performing various Non-Destructive Tests (NDT) or partially destructive tests on different structural members of the given structure and by calculating the service life and residual life of the structure. Sufficient service life remaining and good NDT results and conclusions allow for repair and retrofitting, of the deteriorating structure. The various Non Destructive Tests conducted are Rebound Hammer, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity, Half Cell Potentiometer Test, Carbonation Test, Core Test, Cover Meter survey, Windsor Probe Test, Chloride Test, Sulphate Test, and Resistivity Measurements, Pull out tests, Radioactive Method of NDT. In the present study, two case studies of structural health monitoring and assessment of residual life of RCC buildings in Goa are undertaken and the need for retrofitting scheme is assessed. From the test results and analysis, it is observed that one structure can be retrofitted while the other structure cannot be retrofitted. Some of the retrofitting methods that will be used for the structure are Shotcrete, Fiber Wrap Technique, RCC Jacketing, and Plate Bonding.