Reasonable Safety of Existing Concrete Structures through Effective Structural Condition Assessments – Part I

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Part I of a Two-Part Series Airing October 1 & 8, 2024, 2:00-3:00 PM CDT

Program Description

This two-part webinar series discusses structural condition assessment nuances, complexities, and challenges, including corrosion implications, considerations for coastal buildings, safety implications, historical aspects, new assessment tools, regulations, industry standards, and limitations. It closely follows the 4-Part Series published by the speakers in Concrete International (November 2023 to February 2024).  

Engineers are routinely being asked to evaluate the safety of existing structures, often based upon limited information and with limited access to the structure. The article series examined some of the challenges associated with condition assessments, and the need for results to be presented within the context of the assessment limitations.

Since the first applications of structural concrete and, subsequently, the first design and construction standards, significant changes to concrete and concrete technology have occurred. In the last fifty years, there have been substantial changes to ensure new buildings are designed and constructed to provide reasonable levels of safety and satisfy minimum durability and serviceability requirements.

These articles discussed the continual advances in concrete and concrete technology for both new construction and to extend the service life of existing structures. New technologies provide a new hope to ensure that structures designed and constructed using structural concrete will continue to reasonably provide for the health, safety, and general welfare of the public for their intended service life and beyond.

Part I - October 1, 2024 - Agenda & Learning Objectives

• Introduction 
• What Does “Safe” Mean?
  • Safety, Health, and General Welfare
    • Jurisdictional Regulations
  • Verification of “Safe”
    • In-place Loads
    • Dimensions
    • Defects
    • Codes and Standards
    • Classification of Existing Structures
• Limitations: Buildings and Their Evaluation
  • Discoverable Documentation
  • Evolution of Building Codes and the State of Practice
  • Structural systems and their influence on the approach to evaluation
    • Flat plate concrete slabs
    • Unbonded post-tensioned concrete
    • Prestressed precast concrete
  • Accessibility, Site Survey Selection, and Subjectivity During Assessment
• Q&A

Disclaimer: the ideas expressed in this ICRI-hosted webinar are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ICRI, its board, committees, or sponsors.