Damaged concrete and steel structures are required to analyses, assesses, inspected and then to be essentially to be taken up for the appropriate measures for ensuring that their structural health is well maintained and they are functionally available throughout their desired functional life.

These actions can be of case specific nature like rehabilitation or retrofitting or refurbishment of strengthening as per the outcome of their damage assessment.

Once the damage is identified under the preliminary visual observation, it needs to be closely inspected so arrive at its seriousness and urgency to attend it. If it is identified to be normal and of non-structural nature, then cosmetic treatment may serve the purpose but if the damage is identified to be structural nature, then it is to systematically designed for upliftment of its functional life.

Delay in taking these measures (as designed) have serious consequences.

The damages like concrete corrosion which is de-polarisation of concrete matrix caused by many reasons; have tendency to grow and propagate to other parts of the member/s without showing any signs on the surface.

This is the most dangerous phenomena.

Such silent damages seldom give any sign of increase in damage till the structure fails or collapses. Time duration between first large crack and final collapse at times, is not even few minutes. More often than not, such failures happen in concrete structures because of their plastic nature with limited elasticity. Concrete corrosion results in quick collapse of a structure after it crosses its plasticity limit.

Unlike this, steel structures have tendency to give indication of a major collapse as compared to concrete structure which never give such pre-indication with significant time lag. Majority of reasons of failure of steel structures is corrosion. This is visible on the surface. The structure with deteriorated structural parameters tends to bend and buckle at a slow speed which is captured under any visual inspection. It gives time to initiate and implement the rectification actions to prevent the collapse.

It is hence necessary, mandatory and advisable for one and all facility owners to ….

• Regularly inspect the structure and record visual observations.
• Catch any sign of uncharacteristic symptom on the structure and get it examined by the expert.
• Act as advised by the expert.

Always approach the all round expert like Accord Specialities Contracting LLC – your one stop solution – in such conditions to prevent and avoid chaos.