Masonry walls of buildings with reinforced concrete structure - Detection of cracking due to the effect of temperature variations through NDT techniques

Abstract

In buildings with reinforced concrete structure, it is observed that, in many cases, the cracking in facade masonry walls and internal walls is essentially related to deformations due to temperature variations (thermal deformations). In fact, thermal deformations can induce significant stresses in these building elements and cause appreciable cracking, the repair of which may incur high costs. Where the effect of temperature variations is presumed to be predominant, the detection of the respective cracking situations shall involve the identification, with high reliability, of the characteristic signs that clearly can be associated to the typical pattern of cracking due to thermal deformations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse, in heritage buildings, thermal deformations in masonry walls and their confining reinforce concrete elements. It also addresses the process of identification of this kind of cracking associated with the effect of temperature variations. In particular, the potential for using NDT techniques, namely ultrasound testing, infrared thermography and photogrammetry, in this process of identification, is here evaluated.