Effect of environmental deterioration on buildings: A condition assessment case study

Abstract

The deterioration of structures due to corrosion is probably the most significant factor for their damaging condition and the need for maintenance. Corrosion mechanisms depend on the environmental conditions and the geographic characteristics of the area. In this paper a condition assessment methodology is presented through an application on a deteriorated building in Cyprus. The methodology's starting point is the collection of information through Google Earth for classification of buildings in regions based on their environmental and geographic characteristics. Through this screening process, buildings in each defined region are selected for evaluation. The following steps of the methodology include testing on selected structural members for the estimation of the compression strength and the depth of carbonation. The results of the case study, are used from the responsible engineer to evaluate the current condition of the building regarding its structural integrity and the effect of corrosion. The testing data showed that the current building strength is lower than the code's requirements and that carbonation induced corrosion must be addressed to prevent further damage. © 2014 SPIE.