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Title: On Site Assessment of Concrete, Masonry and Timber Structures - SACoMaTiS 2008 Edited by L. Binda, M. di Prisco, R. Felicetti ISBN: 978-2-35158-061-5 e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-075-2 Pages: 1232 Publication date: 2008 Contents Order this book |
Structure maintenance is one of the most relevant problem of civil engineering and architecture. Existing structures when damaged need a diagnostic investigation in order to define their actual state and to assess their safety. This necessity is particularly evident for historical buildings, but also for recent buildings when events like earthquakes, floods or long term lack of maintenance cause severe damage. When on site investigation is carried out nondestructive tests and reliable identification techniques are needed.
In the last years L. Binda, being Convener of Cluster E of RILEM TAC and aware of the importance of NDTs for the site assessment of existing structures, proposed three new TCs on the use of NDT for concrete, masonry and timber structures. Arnon Bentur and Sydney Mindess (chairman of TAC at that time) who gave an important support to the acceptance of the proposed Committees have to be acknowledged. The TCs have been worked hard since their formation and in 2006 it was decided to organise the first Symposium on site assessment of structures with the participation of two other TCs and contribution of external international experts.
The SACoMaTiS 2008 International Symposium has been in fact organized with the collaboration of the following RILEM TCs:
- 207-INR - Interpretation of NDT results and assessment of RC structures
- 216-SAM - Strategies for assessment of historic masonry structures with NDT
- 215-AST - In-situ assessment of structural timber
- 212-ACD - Acoustic emission and related NDE techniques for crack detection and
damage evaluation in concrete.
- 213-MAI - Model assisted integral service life prediction of steel reinforced concrete
structures with respect to corrosion induced damage
New progress in research and new standards have strongly emphasized the influence of site assessment role to estimate residual bearing capacity of structures and infrastructures and their consequent safety factors, even for historical buildings. New technologies are now available and the engineers have to use them in order to appreciate their innovation potentialities and to establish their reliability and their efficiency either in terms of effectiveness and costs. The transfer of knowledge from experts to professionals through guidelines and recommendations proposed by the RILEM TCs working on the topics are now really welcome by engineers and architects working on the field of structural assessment, particularly for C.H.
More than one hundred papers were received and the research information was divided in three sections on concrete, masonry and timber specific topics plus a crosswise section that mixes the different techniques, trying to favour a more general discussion on techniques innovation and their ability to be extended to other materials.