Evaluation and Design Considerations in Rehabilitation of Older Structures

Port engineers and their consultants are often called upon to conduct rehabilitations of existing facilities which may date back many decades. In many cases, construction documents for these facilities have long since disappeared, which obviously complicates such rehabilitations. Furthermore, construction practices, typical material properties and design methodologies have changed over the years. Knowledge of these factors, and consideration of their effects are important if the most effective and cost efficient decisions are to be made regarding structure rehabilitation. Physical investigations and material testing generally remain necessary, but their use is optimized by proper consideration of the existing construction. In addition, this knowledge gives a reasonable set of values against which to judge materials test values, and a basis for evaluating the use of newer technologies, such as fiber reinforced composites, for strengthening.