Assessment and retrofit.Diagnosis and repair of existing structures. Shall we look at your structure?

Photo: Jon Tyson / Unsplash

DDES assesses existing buildings in Colombia: it diagnoses cracks, corrosion and settlement, carries out seismic vulnerability studies under chapter A.10 of the NSR-10 and designs the retrofit. It works from Barranquilla, on the coast and in the rest of the country.

Code: NSR-10
Deliverables: 5
Coverage: Nationwide (Colombia)

What is structural pathology?

It is the study of the damage in an existing structure, such as cracks, corrosion of the reinforcement or settlement, to find its cause and define the repair. When a building is extended, changes use or is strengthened, the NSR-10 also requires an assessment of its seismic vulnerability (chapter A.10).

Cracks, corroded steel, settlement or a change of use: we assess existing buildings, find the cause and design the retrofit. On the coast, chloride-induced corrosion is the most common cause of damage in concrete structures more than thirty years old.

How a vulnerability study is done and how to read its indices: seismic vulnerability study.

On-site diagnosis

Cores, rebound hammer, ferroscan to locate the reinforcement, carbonation depth and chloride content. The tests confirm what the visual inspection suggests.

Seismic vulnerability

We assess the existing structure under chapter A.10 of the NSR-10 and determine whether it must be strengthened for its current use or for a new one.

Retrofit

Concrete jacketing, steel plates and carbon fiber, steel bracing and foundation underpinning. We design the solution and support its construction.

What is the process?

Inspection
Survey of the damage and the structure.
Testing
Cores, ferroscan, carbonation and chlorides.
Diagnosis
Cause of the damage and condition of the structure.
Retrofit
Design and support on site.

What do we deliver?

Pathology report with photo record
Test results
Seismic vulnerability study
Retrofit design and drawings
Support on site

Photo: Michael Bader / Unsplash

Frequently asked questions

Is my building safe?

An initial inspection tells you whether there is an immediate risk and how urgently you need to act. The full diagnosis, with testing, tells you how serious the damage is and what the repair will cost.

Can a building be strengthened while people live in it?

In many cases, yes. We design the retrofit to be built in stages and with as little disruption to the residents as possible.

What does the law require for an old building?

If the use changes, or the building is extended or its structure is modified, the NSR-10 requires an assessment of its vulnerability and, if needed, a retrofit.

When is a crack dangerous?

Fine cracks in the plaster are usually shrinkage. The ones to worry about are diagonal or stair-step cracks, cracks that go through the wall, cracks wider than one millimeter, cracks that grow, and cracks in beams or columns. We explain it in this guide.