Structural health assessment of a historical building by using in situ stress wave NDT: a case study in Iran

ABSTRACT

Background:

Many historical buildings in Iran need to be protected. In many of these buildings, wood is used as a structural element in features such as beam, pile, roof and floor systems. For this purpose, the architectural features of a historical building located in Gorgan (Northern part of Iran) and characterisation of faults, in addition to identification of wood species were conducted. Stress wave non-destructive testing (NDT) was used and wave speed (WS) was measured in tested members to evaluate the decay situation of major wooden beams of building frames and roof truss. After obtaining data related to WS, time of wave transition (TWT) was calculated and compared with control time. Structural elements were characterized in comparison with control time and classified according to decay severity.

Results:

The results showed that local hardwood species were used for construction of this building. Furthermore, in some parts of the building, there were severely defected structures, thus highlighting the importance of safety. Moreover, WS strongly depended on the types of faults.

Conclusion:

Due to high relative humidity of climate, wood structures are exposed to faults in the northern region of Iran. However, their general appearance is adequate and acceptable. For better decision making, the TWT should be accompanied by more investigation into the types of defects.

Keywords:
Historical building; Non-destructive Testing; Stress wave; Structural health assessment; Testing of materials; Timber structures