Structural health assessment of reinforced concrete structure

Abstract

There is a magnificent rise in repair, retrofitting and rehabilitation in construction industry in recent years. Concrete is a major used material in construction for various structures mainly because it deteriorates at a low rate. Concrete alone is durable but for structural application, Reinforced concrete is used. Reinforced concrete structures are not that durable because of number of reasons such as variation in construction methods, loading condition in service life and subsequent attack by environmental factors. The external symptoms range from cracking to spalling of concrete. In maximum field cases the main cause of deterioration are penetration of water and aggressive chemicals attack. Carbonation, Chloride ingress, leaching, sulphate attack, alkali-silica reaction are known responsible causes. Due to these reasons, during service life the structure deteriorates, and hence monitoring is required. If the condition of structure is below acceptable limit considering various parameters considered, the structure requires repair and retrofitting. For the study, we have considered G+3 Storey commercial building with a basement. Non-Destructive and Chemical Test. The Rebound hammer, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test, Cover Meter Test, pH Test, Carbonation Test and Chloride Content Test are carried out to understand and analyze the current condition of the structure. The result computed from field and lab test were used as parameters for analyzing the structure in STAAD PRO Software. After assessing, the strengthening scheme for reinforced concrete structural components such as beams, columns and slab is discussed and suggested to increases the service life of structure.