During its life cycle, a building or engineered structure is likely to require structural investigations due to changes in its materials or the emergence of structural faults. These can be caused by a range of different factors, including construction defects, earthquake, fire, explosion and changes in operating conditions.
These events can reduce the service life of a structure, compromise its durability or threaten the safety of users.
Where this is the case, contracting authorities and/or contractors have to assess the condition and performance of the structure in light of the faults detected.
Expert appraisal of structures and fault cause identification
Using various different types of structural investigations and laboratory tests, our solutions allow us to diagnose how structures are behaving, and identify any material pathologies affecting entire structures or their component parts.
These solutions are based on formalised investigation methodologies that combine in-situ diagnoisis of materials and structures with laboratory testing.
On-site intervention
- Visual inspections and fault measurement
- In-situ diagnosis and non-destructive testing:
- Structural surveys
- Characterisation of materials and coatings
- Diagnosis of pathologies
- Evaluation of prestressing
Laboratory analysis and testing
- Mechanical and physical tests
- Physical, chemical and micro-structural characterisation
- Pathology identification
- Identification of fault causes and extent
- Durability and endurance parameter studies
Assess the integrity of prestressing cables
with the crossbow method
A reliable assessment of the robustness of a prestressed structures requires structural investigation of the state of the prestressing cables and, in particular, an assessment of the residual prestressing force in the cables.
The Crossbow is a testing tool for measuring the tension of the prestressing reinforcements of structures that are in service.
The Crossbow test, which has been successfully deployed around the world for analysing prestressed structures, covers a wide range of applications:
- Interior prestressing of prefabricated or cast-in-place elements
- Structures prestressed by post-tensioning or pre-tensioning
- Cables made from prestressing wires or strands
- Bridges and viaducts (girder bridges, slab bridges and box girders)
- Residential buildings, industrial buildings, car parks and stadiums
- Dams and storage tanks
Our prestressing experts can provide you with precise analysis of the condition of your infrastructure (structures in service or damaged).
