Structural Repairs / Restoration
Air pollution, acid rain, sun, wind and moisture are the causes of the deterioration of a building’s structural condition / strength. Damages can include non-structural ones such as peeling off of paint, or structural ones such as weakening of foundation due to flooding, crumbling of masonry, wear and tear of concrete and corrosion of structural steel or reinforcement.
A good structural consultant has knowledge about the behavior and life cycle of concrete, steel and masonry structures; and can undertake the repair and restoration of the weak portion of the concrete like column, beam and roof, or the strengthening and treatment of the corroded areas. Strengthening of RCC foundation for higher loads and resting leakages from porous, cracked or distressed concrete are some of the measures undertaken.
Structural repairs are changes made to a property to bring it up to local health and safety standards; under technical guidance and supervision. Unlike renovations, they add relatively little value to a property.
Sometimes, structural repairs consultants are also involved in building restoration. This comes under the spectrum of heritage conservation; restoration being the process of accurately revealing, recovering or representing the state of a historic building, as it appeared at a particular period in its history, while protecting its heritage value. Work is often performed to reverse decay, or alterations made to the building after its initial construction.
