At Rapallo we’re regularly asked to complete structural integrity audits for our clients, this is something we think offers real value but what exactly is a ‘Structural Integrity Audit’? To put it simply, it’s an audit or inspection of any structure to determine whether it has any problems with its structural integrity. In layman’s terms we’re asking ourselves ‘Is this structure going to fail’?
This task is carried out by experienced structural engineers and is completed to provide a comprehensive list of risks to the structure owner or caretaker as to what problems they might encounter in the future. For houses, and small structures its unlikely that a failure is going to occur and this is a less important task, however for large mining structures that carry heavy vibrating machinery or for large buildings that weigh thousands of tons a failure is more likely and much more catastrophic when it does occur.
So what are Rapallo’s engineers looking for during the audit? Well, there are lots of things really, but here are some key ones:
1. Corrosion on steel sections.
Corrosion can be insidious in steel structures, once it appears it usually gets worse over time unless something is done to stop it. Keeping structures painted and removing corrosion as soon as it appears its critical to keeping structures in good condition.
2. Evidence of impact or damage
Many structures, especially those on mine sites, are surrounded all day long by heavy machinery such as mobile cranes, large trucks and other vehicles. These sorts of vehicles have a high risk of impact. The sort of damage created by such an impact can cause the failure of a structure even if it doesn’t happen immediately.
3. Signs of ‘Concrete Cancer’
Concrete cancer is something that happens when the steel reinforcement (rebar) inside concrete begins to rust. There are a number of causes that could cause this to happen, but once it starts to occur the strength of the concrete within can be seriously affected. Some common signs include rust stains, bubbling, or cracking within the concrete.
4. Foundational issues.
The foundations of a building are what keep it standing, damage to the foundation is obviously a serious issue. In some cases, it could be sinking into the ground or suffering from the effects of corrosion or damage. If there is issues with the foundations its very likely the structure will have problems long term.
Now this explains what the audit is looking for during their audit, but how do they look for it? Well, there isn’t really a special inspection technique the truth is that the inspection is a basic visual inspection, meaning that the structural engineer walks around the structure and takes a very good look at the structure, and using his knowledge of structures and experience with past audits he will be able to identify any critical issues.
I hope this article helped you understand exactly what a structural integrity audit entails. Our next post which will be linked HERE, will detail exactly why benefits you might get by getting a structural integrity audit completed.
