Recent buildings and structures / in concrete

Modern society has built a vast infrastructure, mainly of reinforced concrete, to meet its needs and expectations of well-being. Until recently, it was generally believed that reinforced concrete structures would last forever. Today, we known that this is not the case, and we commonly see structures showing signs of deterioration and in need of repair and renovation.

Today’s society has a vast infrastructure built throughout the centuries using various materials. Part of this infrastructure acquired cultural importance, and the respective necessary conservation interventions call for a knowledge of geometry, of the properties and of the state of conservation of the constructions and of the materials of which they are made.

Such new techniques may provide the professionals in charge of conservation, repair and rehabilitation interventions with important data, assisting them in:

1. determining the reasons for damage and anomalies presented by the structures;
2. evaluating correctly the importance and range of the existing damage;
3. adopting less intrusive and more adequate corrective measures;
4. specifying and scheduling the interventions in due time, acting preventively;
5. monotoring the behaviour of such interventions.

These techniques may be, as well, a precious aid in the quality control of structures, both during the construction stage and, later when submitted to corrective interventions, in order to insure conformity with the specifications, particulary those concerned with the durability.