VISHRAMBAUG WADA – HERITAGE STRUCTURE

The Wada is now a Pune Municipal Corporation’s property and its conservation is
being carried out under corporation special ‘Heritage Cell’. Timber structures never
received special attention in the past and due to the lack of maintenance, timer
structure was degradeted at many places.
Recently few architects and engineers were asked to carry out the NDT and
evaluation for the structure called “VISHRAMBAUG WADA.”
This is a structure in timber frames and has “khans”. The structure is almost 200 years
old and might have been constructed in days of last Peshwa regime. Vishrambag
stands for Vishram – rest and recreation on no-wokring days . It was not a primary seat
of administration.
The Wada has basically 4 different parts. This building is declared as heritage structure
and is governed by heritage structure rules and regulations.
Further this a structure in use . It is not an ignored structure. The structure is being used
by the Pune Municipal Corpoation and also partly the Govt of Maharashtra as its
Central or regional library.
The state of the building is that there is a continuous use and presence in the builidng.
Earlier the building was used for the BIRTH AND DEATH dept of the Municipal
Corporation. There is a small museaum called “PUNAWADI TO PUNYANAGARI”,that
contains useful photographs/records about the city of Pune in early days of the
nineteenth century.
The structure is in the heart of the city. It is having a few Girls School nearby and also
there is a main cloth market area -called Laxmi Road.
Since there is a lot of use of the building and comparatively the maintenance has not
been looked into before the heritage declaration, some decay has been caused due
to inefficient drainage of rain/storm water and due to neglect caused in some toilet
like areas.
TIMBER FRAMES COLUMNS
The main area of focus the timber frames for investigation/s. When the normal focus
in Pune city or in India is all everyday structure like concrete members [like columns ,
beams and slabs], here it is altogether different. There are timber sections. Timber
architectural columns. the timber beams and timber scantlings. On the top of these
scantlings is the flooring in lime-mortar or the earlier day Shahabad tiles like flooring.
TIMBER VERSUS CONCRETE
The engineers should note that timber vis-a vis concrete is quite a different structural
growth. It is pouring of concrete on a given formwork and over the mesh of
reinforcement, that makes concrete structures. The strength is acquired in about 28
days primarily.
The timber as a building material has quite a different growth. The stems/trunks of
timber tree grow vertically. The trunks or stems grow vertically and over the years also
annually in the form of annual rings. The fibres of the tissues of the timber are vertical
oriented and have the strength in that direction. Along the cross section or in the
annual ring direction it is a different growth system. Variation of growth characteristics
(growth rate, density, knots, spiral grain, checks and splits) along the length and in the
radial direction creates complexities in their evaluation
TEST SAMPLES
The author/s carried out extensive studies of the timber elements of the heritage
structures. Also samples in nearby city – centre area -called Kasba, the timber pieces
of the same olden days were taken as specimen and also for comparison of the
material of the olden days.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE CONCRETE VERSUS TIMBER
It is a common experience that concrete offers strengths in cross section direction of
the value of 3.5 km/sec. In the vertical direction the resistance could be less – say
about 1.5 km /sec.
In case of timber the values are just the opposite of this. In the cross sectional direction
the strength representation could be 1.5 km / sec while in the fibre or vertical direction
it is 3.2 km/sec or so. Lot of attention should be paid to understand this different nature
of timber versus concrete. An novice is likely to be taken aback in all these different
readings.
TESTED SPECIMENS
Lot of specimens in timber columns and similar columns from the neighborhood area
were tested for all the three basic tests.
The basic is the hammering to test hollowness. The Schnidt Hammer test restricts to the
surface and its hardness. The third test is the ultrasonic pulse test.
A large number of samples werre collected and some of them directly tested on site.
About 50 such columns and about 10 such and similar columns from elsewhere taken
for testing using the ultrasonic way.
TEST PROCEDURE
1) Visual Inspection
Visual inspection is the simplest NDE technique, and is the first step in assessing a timber
structures. Using visual inspection, technical personnel can quickly develop a
qualitative assessment of the relative structural integrity of individual members.
Obvious deficiencies can be easily identified, including external damage, decay,
presence of severe checks and splits. Results of visual inspection can be employed to
guide further NDT.
Visual inspection is very useful but has definite limitations. Access also poses problems.
Components with limited access may be susceptible to increased error in
interpretation of visual inspection, and unexposed components cannot be inspected
at all. The results are qualitative, rather than quantitative, and knowledge is limited to
the exterior surface of the wood.
Condition Survey of structural members was carried out for assessing –
a) Mechanical damage , Cracks, splits
b) Advanced decay
c) Extensive insect damage
d) Warped members
e) Plumb, Line , Level , Sag
2) Pseudo-NDE Methods
Pseudo-NDE methods can help to expand the information obtained with visual
examination. Following techniques were used –
a) Tapping Survey – Sounding with a hammer to differentiate hollow & ringing sound
to identify general integrity and soundness.
b) Micro-drill Test – Drill resistance is used to determine density and detect decay. The
location and extent of degraded sections. This technique may be best employed if
used in conjunction with NDE methods that provide qualitative condition assessment
(e.g., visual inspection) or regional condition assessment (e.g., Rebound hammer or
ultrasonic inspection).
3) Non Destructive Testing
Instrumental analysis along with Pseudo-NDE methods, by means of appropriate in situ
non-destructive techniques is carried out in order to provide quantitative data about
some properties and biological damages, especially those located in the inner and
hidden parts of the structure. The aim of this step is to complete data obtained from
step 1. It includes, typically Surface hardness and ultrasound velocity measurements.
Following techniques were used –
a) Rebound Hammer Test
b) Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test
Both the instruments are the same, which are normally used for concrete testing. With
proper selection of transducers, these techniques were successfully implemented.
Rebound Hammer Test : –
Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test : –
Ultrasound is a high frequency sound at the inaudible frequency range. In case of
wood the frequency is between 20kHz-500kHz. Transducers of 25kHz & 50kHz
frequency were used for this project. This comparatively low frequency range is used
because of the high wave attenuation in wood.
The ultrasound is affected by several environmental factors and wood characteristics.
The velocity of ultrasound increases as the moisture content of the wood decreases.
It is also sensitive to grain direction (K.A. McDonald 1978). The ultrasound travels three
times faster along the grain than across the grain of solid wood. This enables the
technique to detect defects, which involves changes in grain direction such as knots
and cross grain. The increase of transit time between two transducers can locate
defects. Discontinuities in the cell structure or decay slow down the sound
propagation. However, certain defects such as small cracks, splits, worm holes can
not be detected reliably with ultrasonic techniques.
The pulse velocity measurements were done by two methods –
a) Direct Transmission ( cross probing )
The timber members
b) Indirect Transmission ( Surface probing )
TEST RESULTS
FUTURE SCOPE
The work of this nature suddenly wakes us from the docile way and asks us to be alert
in noting the strength. There are quite a few old heritage structure in India . To carry
out the NDT is desirable for prompt and proper action against timber decay, durability
etc of the structure.
The field of NDE in general and that of wood and wood composites specifically are
still in the infancy of development. We have to gain much more knowledge before
we will be able to predict successful outcomes in advance
THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author expresses his gratitude to his father Shri ‘A M Ranade , who has continuously
worked in the field of structural engineers for the past over 5 decades.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/ REFERENCES
Report on Proposed Conservation of Vishrambag Wada, Pune by BADWE SOWANI
KALAMDANI ARCHITECTS