Combined use of non-destructive methods for the assessment of facade anomalies of heritage buildings with structural concrete elements

Abstract

Heritage buildings based on structural concrete elements associated to infill or resistant masonry walls often present facade anomalies such as cracking, disintegration, settlement, delamination, wear, deflection or leakage. The selection of the most suitable test method is essential for the reliability and confidence of assessment and service life prediction of heritage buildings. Usually, only one non-destructive test method cannot give enough information about the facade anomalies to support a diagnosis, so a combined use of different methods could be of great convenience. This article presents the experimental results of the combined use of ultrasound testing, thermography and photogrammetry for assessment of anomalies occurring in facades of a heritage building, these results are compared and discussed and recommendations are made to address the advantages of the combined use of these techniques to support the diagnosis of the causes of anomalies in facades.