Condition Assessment of the Timber Structures of a Century-Old Industrial Building Using a Nondestructive Inspection Procedure

Abstract

This paper reports an in situ inspection project conducted on heavy timber structures of a century-old industrial building at a paper manufacturing facility. A nondestructive inspection procedure was employed to evaluate the true condition of the heavy timbers that serve as the main framing structure of the building. The on-site investigation involved monitoring of the microclimate environment resulting from the paper machine operations, wood species identification, wood moisture content measurements, and internal decay detection using sounding, stress wave timing, and resistance micro-drilling methods. The testing results revealed that numerous locations were in poor condition indicated by widespread internal and external deterioration, reduced cross-sections from fire damages, and multiple failed members. Many timber members in the first floor exhibited a very high level of moisture condition (23 to 55%) as a result of high humidity air created by the paper making operations. This paper also showcases a new way of interpreting the evaluation results as straightforward as possible to the customer by creating 3D model-drawings and colored condition mappings.