Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Of
Existing Buildings
By
I. H. SHAH.
Cruising in Cold Water of Pacific Ocean – California Consulting Engineer
for “IDEAS” on “Quality Improvements. ISO 9000 Consultant
[Pick the date]
Structural Audit and Suggested Formats
CONTENTS
Page No
• What is Structural Audit? 3 to 6
• Suggested Format For Structural Audit Report 7 to 11
• Structural Audit – Recommended Tests 12 to 15
• Procedure for Repairs 16 to 18
Structural Audit is an important tool for knowing the real status of the old bldgs. The Audit
should highlight & investigate all the risk areas, critical areas and whether the bldg. needs
immediate attention. It should also cover the structural analysis of the existing frame and
pinpoint the weak structural areas for static, wind & earthquake loads. If the bldg. has changed
the user, from residential to commercial or industrial, this should bring out the impact of such a
change.
This Publication gives step by step guidelines for carrying out Structural Audit of old
buildings. We have also provided a detailed format to collect data from the field.
The details regarding the various non-destructive tests and other tests to be carried out are also
given.
If we are serious about the Structural Audit, how do we carry it out? What do we tell to our
Structural Engineers? What are our expectations?
STEP 1 : It is imperative that we must have Architectural and Structural plans of the bldgs.
it will be helpful if we have detailed structural calculations including assumptions
for the structural design.
The assumptions can also include the allowable live loads; Whether the bldg. is
designed for residential, commercial, light industry or heavy industry and
whether any future provision for adding new floors is considered? What type of
Earthquake loads are considered? Which I.S. Code requirements have been met?
STEP 2 : If the Architectural plans and Structural plans are not available, the same can be
prepared by any Engineer by measuring the size of the bldg. & locating the
position of
the columns, beams and size of all such structural elements.
STEP 3 : Inspection of the Bldg. - A detailed inspection of the bldg. can reveal the
following :
1. Any settlements in the foundations.
2. Visual cracks in columns, beams and slabs
3. Concrete disintegration and exposed steel reinforcements – photographs can
be helpful.
4. Slight tapping with hammer can reveal deterioration in concrete.
5. Extent of corrosion in reinforcement.
6. Status of Balconies – sagging, deflection, cracks?
7. Status of Architectural features viz. chhajjas, fins, canopies etc.
8. Cracks in walls indicating swelling in R.C.C. members or distress or
deflection or corrosion.
9. Leakages from terrace & Toilet blocks.
10. Leakages & dampness in walls resulting into cracks and corrosion.
11. Changes carried out affecting structure.
Toilet blocks - Added or changes made?
Change of user – from Residential to Commercial to Industrial?
Change of Partition Walls?
12. Status of lift and lift machine room – Type of Maintenance Contract, renewal
of license.
13. Status of electrical wiring from meter room to all the flats. Substation status.
Any explosion in the meter room, substation?
14. Status of overhead & underground water tanks - capacity. Leakages, cracks
& frequency of cleaning, status of pumps.
15. Plinth protection in the compound including status of drainage, water pipes
& pumps. How much the Ground was flooded during recent monsoons?
16. External paint – When last painted and type of paint.
17. Status of repairs & last repaired.
What was repaired?
Who was the Agency?
How much was spent for repairs?
18. Bldg. plans available? When approved?
Occupation Certificate available?
Structural Plans available? Structural Stability Certificate available?
Structural Calculations available?
19. Last Structural Audit prepared?
Audit is a good thing, but in itself Audit is not sufficient. It is important that the
findings and/or recommendations of audits are implemented satisfactorily, within a
stipulated time limit and are certified by Structural Engineers; Otherwise the Audit
findings will remain on paper.
Is it a costly process?
Of course, this is going to be costly; but human lives are important and they need to be saved
at any cost.
Conclusion:
If your bldg. is more than 15 years old, it is important that rigorous audit is carried out every
five years.
This will be a continuous process as it is difficult to guarantee future life of old bldgs.
However, regular Audits and implementing audit findings will avoid sudden collapse of
bldgs. and save thousands of life. This process will also increase the future life of bldgs.
Description: _______________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________
OBSERVATIONS
1. FOUNDATION STRATA
VISUAL INSPECTION
SETTLEMENT OF COLUMNS
SETTLEMENT OF WALLS
4. TOILET LEAKAGES,CRACKS,
8. INSPECTION OF UNDERGROUND
WATER TANK
DATE
24. CONCLUSION:
Structural Engineer
License No________
Structural Engineer
License No___________
3
Structural Audit – Recommended Tests
Non Destructive Tests:
The following NDT tests are required to be carried out on structural elements. However,
it is important that the testing scheme is prepared based on preliminary survey of the
building/structure :
Core tests to determine the estimated equivalent in situ compressive strength & to
establish correlation between Rebound hammer test & in situ strength of concrete.
Rebound Hammer test to estimate the in situ compressive strength of cover
concrete.
USPV test to assess the integrity of concrete.
Carbonation test to assess the depth of carbonated concrete.
Half cell potentiometer test to determine the probability of active corrosion.
Cover test to assess the cover provided to RCC structural members.
1. Core Test:
Steps to the Core Tests :
The reinforcement is detected at planned location with the help of Rebar Locator
called Profometer to avoid cutting of reinforcement.
The Core cutting equipment is fixed at the planned location & core is extracted.
The Cores are transported to the laboratory & visual observations of cores are
recorded for interpretation purpose. Reinforcement bars, if encountered, are cut off.
The Cores are removed from water cut to the required L/D ratio of 2, wherever
possible, exactly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
Both the ends are prepared by grinding up to the tolerance limit as specified by Clause
4:8 of BS 1881:Part 120: 1983 for flatness & parallelism.
A thin layer of plaster of Paris is applied to ends to ensure proper contact.
Now the cores are ready for compression testing.
4
Procedures for Repairs
1.00 Typical Procedure for Attending Structural Cracks & Damaged R.C.C. Members :
1. Erecting temporary Steel props in required position, prior to R.C.C. restoration, to relieve
partial loading on the structure.
2. Carefully exposing the damaged plaster by plaster breaker or hammer & chisel.
3. Exposing the damaged RCC members namely columns, chajjas beams wherever found
loose including cleaning the rusted reinforcement with light tapping, wire brushing.
5. Applying protective coating to the rust passivated reinforcement with Polyalk F.P. with 1
part of Polyalk F.P. mixed to 1 part of cement or from approved suppliers.
6. Applying bonding coat to the entire surface (after watering the surface) with 1 part of
Polyalk E.P. mixed to 1.5 part of cement to a creamy consistency or from approved
suppliers. Care should be taken that the next coat is applied within open time of 10 to 15
min.
7. Applying polymer modified cementitious mortar to the damaged R.C.C. members (with
10mm cover to the reinforcement) in proportion of 1:5:15 (i.e. Polyalk E.P. : Cement:
Quartz Sand) by weight or from approved suppliers.
OR
8. Strengthening and repairing of damaged R.C.C. members namely columns, beams &
slabs by “Building up” “with Form work” by using MICRO CONCRETE.
OR
9. Jacketing
The Existing columns of any size to be Strengthened by means of jacketing up to the Top
of footing, top & bottom of beam/slab or up to the level as per site conditions only
required parts of the walls near columns shall be broken carefully for shuttering purpose.
The damaged concrete & reinforcement shall be treated.
Note : This is only a guideline. The strengthening should be carried out in consultation
with suppliers’ requirements and specifications and involving an experienced
Structural Engineer.
Note: This is only a guideline. You may use materials from any of the approved suppliers’.
The Procedure should be carried out in consultation with suppliers’ requirements.
Owners / Developers :
Architects :
Structural Consultants :
Civil Contractors :
Plumbing Contractors :
Strata Description
4. Ductile Detailing
5. Stability Checks
a) Building Frame
b) Stilt if any
c) Elevation Features
d) Overhead Tanks
e) Cantilevers / balconies
f) Masonry detailing
I have also gone through the Structural drawings available for the existing bldg. & have gone
through the actual calculations and prepared our own calculations to test the stability of the
structure.
I have also carried out a number of Non-Destructive Tests to estimate the present strength of
concrete, the deterioration of the concrete strength and the level of loss of strength in steel
resulting into distress. Based on this, I have worked out a system for correcting the distress
of the structure and providing necessary strengthening measures. This was done based on
Method Statements prepared for the execution. The building has been repaired accordingly.
I therefore certify that the said building structural work is safe and stable for the building user
as mentioned in this Stability format.
Note: The repaired building is more than _____ years old, as such, it is necessary to monitor
the status of repairs so that, if any distress is noticed, the same is notified and
corrected immediately.
Caution: Building stability certification is a highly responsible job - involving safety of life
and property of residents, passers by and neighbouring buildings.
YouTube Videos:
Structural Audit of Old Buildings - Part I :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LazyYK5CVtg.
Structural Audit of Old Buildings - Part II :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KVUg-eL9zI.
Structural Audit of Old Buildings – Part III:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLaD68HWOWk.