Systematic Approach to Inspect, Diagnose, and Repair Masonry Walls
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 29, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper describes a systematic approach of inspection, diagnosis, and repair for masonry walls and their claddings, aiming at facilitating the inspection process and deciding on the repair of these elements. It also helps to combat their degradation. Based on a visual analysis, the inspector is able to identify anomalies and use the proposed system tools to establish correlations with its source, delineate an accurate diagnosis, and determine the best repair technique. The tools that allow a faster and simpler inspection and decision are presented here. The nature of the anomalies, their related causes and appropriate repair techniques are classified, listed, and then related through correlation matrices to create a database. This equips the inspectors with the information they need about the pathology in masonry walls, as well as its classification through suitable terminology, so that a statistical analysis can be performed to find the chief causes of the anomalies. The system was developed under a strategy of proactive maintenance, and it represents an innovation that is as useful to rehabilitation in southern Europe as it is in other regions where masonry walls are a widely used technique.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support received from ICIST Research Institute, IST, Technical University of Lisbon and FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 29 • Issue 6 • December 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 29, 2014
Accepted: Jun 24, 2014
Published online: Sep 19, 2014
Discussion open until: Feb 19, 2015
Published in print: Dec 1, 2015
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