ESTIMATING LIFE OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

There are different methods of estimating the life of a building. This can be done by carrying out health check up of the building. Depending on the degree of sophistication and desired accuracy level vis-a-vis the problem in hand ,there are many equipment and methodologies available to evaluate the probable life of a structure. Many times a thorough visual inspection reveals the distress and the causes.

Equipments used for HEALTH CHECK UP of the building are:

REBOUND HAMMER: It senses the soundness of concrete up to a marginal depth.

IMPACT ECHO TESTER: Finds out defects in the interior of concrete.

ULTRASONIC TESTERS: Scans through the concrete for the full depth/thickness.

COVER METER: Finds out the cover to the reinforcement (steel bars inside the concrete).

PROFOMETER: Establishes configuration and quantum of interior reinforcements (steel bars inside the concrete)

REBAR PHOTOGRAPHER: Displays interior reinforcements (steel bars) skeleton.

ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE: To examine the void in the concrete.

THERMOGRAPHIC CAMERA: To locate possible defect in a new building.

CRACK MEASUREMENT DEVICE: It measures surface cracks.

PERMEABILITY TESTER: Tests for water penetration in concrete.

THICKNESS GAUGE: Measures the thickness from the surface.

LEAK SEEKER: It locates source of leakages.

COROSION ANALYZER: It measures the extent of corrosion in reinforcements. Corrosion is regarded as equivalent of cancer in the concrete.

X-RAY: Scans inside the concrete.

Carbonation tests

Ground penetrating radar (GPR)

Vibration characteristics