| Introduction
There is an increasing emphasis on the evaluation of the performance of both new and existing buildings. Evaluation of new buildings is primarily needed for quality control to check conformity with design specifications. On older buildings evaluation is needed for preventative maintenance, determining causes of failures, and determining properties and structural layout when upgrading or renovating.
Equipment for monitoring building performance is becoming easier to use, more compact and cheaper. However, little is generally known about much of the available test procedures, especially the non-destructive ones. Non-destructive tests are a means of evaluating a building without altering or damaging it in any significant way. Included are methods which cause minor damage which can easily be repaired, such as drilling small diameter holes for fibre-optic probes, drilling core samples, and cutting slots in mortar joints for insertion of flatjacks. Non-destructive tests are especially needed for heritage buildings where minimum intervention is allowed; in fact, some of the slightly destructive tests may be unacceptable for heritage buildings.
Research Program
This research project involves a review of the technical and commercial literature on non-destructive test equipment to find out what is available and assess the usefulness of the equipment. The review covers tests used to assess factors affecting the strength, serviceability and deterioration of the building structure, including the building envelope. It does not cover areas related to the comfort of building occupants, such as acoustics, lighting, heating, ventilation and air quality.
Results: The report includes a section on the applications of the various test methods, under the following headings:
- geometrical properties and composition;,
- physical properties, strength and integrity; and,
- moisture and associated problems.,
That section gives a general indication of the possible uses of non-destructive test methods and equipment. The following section in the report describes the test methods in more detail, under the same headings as above. The description of the test methods typically include:
- background and principles;,
- applications and advantages;,
- limitations;,
- examples of use;,
- equipment;,
- standards; and,
- sources for further information.,
- Implications for the Housing Industry,
Non-destructive test equipment will continue to improve and continuous monitoring of building performance will become more common. It is expected that faults and deterioration will be detected at an earlier stage and that mathematical modelling will complement the test data to improve the confidence in the results. |
