Safety of building - A maintenance issue

In the first part we looked at what entails in conducting a structural audit for a building. While a proper structural audit provides an assurance on the safety of the building it is not the end of the road. Just as a heart surgeon cannot gives assurances on how long a person will live after conducting an open-heart surgery unless the person takes care of his health similarly the safety of the building is dependent upon the timely maintenance carried out by the owners. It is also firmly dependent upon maintaining the as-built structural capacity of the building without removal or damage to any load carrying member of the building.

Some of the prominent building failures that have occurred in the past years may have been structural failures due to damage to load carrying members of the building. To maintain the structural safety of the building it is essential to keep the structural members of the building such as the columns, beams and slabs in the as-built condition. It is observed that many times property owners remove the cover concrete of a column or beam because it disrupts their interior layout planning and space use. We cannot remove or alter the size of structural members at our fancy.  Such will-full damage to a load carrying member can cause catastrophic disasters to human life and property. 

Sometimes owners change the purpose of a space to suit their requirements. E.g. Owners routinely change the position of the bathroom or the toilet based on their need or use the dry balcony provided off the kitchen area to create a small bathroom for the house help. Such deviations from as-built conditions should be avoided or proper ancillary requirements such as water-proofing to the slabs and adjoining walls should be carried out.  Leakages from such deviations tend to deteriorate the reinforcing steel and reduce the load carrying capacity of the structure. 

We routinely see air-conditioners placed on the external wall and very close to the structural members. It is observed that many a time water leakage from air-conditioners and the constant humid air from it can cause undue damage to structural members. It is necessary in general to ensure that any changes being made in terms of electrical, plumbing or sewage are done with care so as to not disturb the structural frame of the building. Many people place small flower pots on balcony and window ledge. These again are localised deterioration agents due to dampness and daily water flow. Care should be taken while maintaining flower beds that no dampness is caused on the adjoining walls. Another common maintenance issue observed is the growth of vegetation along leaking plumbing lines. 

Most high-rise buildings these days have double basements for parking facilities. Basement walls if not constructed with proper construction practices tend to develop shrinkage cracks over time. These cracks should be repaired timely to avoid structural failures. Parking deck floorings should be taken care and proper maintenance done to avoid spalling and cracking of concrete decks due to wear and tear. Specialty coatings that help in reducing wear and tear of the concrete floorings in parking garages should be utilised. 

Terrace maintenance prior to start of the monsoon including removal of any vegetation, cleaning of rain water pipes helps in maintaining the structural stability of building at low costs. The terrace wall should be checked for cracking and repaired prior to monsoon. Regular maintenance of exterior walls by washing and painting helps in increasing the life of the building and also reduces repair costs. 

Dr.Yogini Deshpande holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. She has taught at several Universities in the USA and currently is Principal Consultant at Renuka Consultants.