Adaptive Reuse of an Old Steel Hall

Abstract

Nowadays, great importance is given to limiting the use of non-renewable resources and decreasing the impact on the environment. The reuse of steel structures is becoming more efficient than recycling steel, which implies additional environmental burden and higher production costs. Steel structures can be reused in different ways, either by incorporating into a new structure the steel elements obtained through dismantling old buildings or by rehabilitating an old steel structure to make it meet the current design requirements. The aim of the thesis is the adaptive reuse of the CMMC Department steel hall (60 years old) by extending its service life through a structural upgrade. The main issue is due to the change of codes and norms from the time of initial design; the current design codes operate with increased climate and seismic loads. Moreover, a part of the primary structure was severely damaged during a recent storm, making the rehabilitation even more important and urgent. The structure was inspected in order to observe the imperfections and existing damage; the welds were evaluated by dye penetrant inspection in order to assess if they had been damaged over time. Non-destructive hardness tests were performed on the structural elements in order to determine the steel grade of the material. The proposed technical solution has been validated through an advanced analysis.

Nowadays, great importance is given to limiting the use of non-renewable resources and decreasing the impact on the environment. The reuse of steel structures is becoming more efficient than recycling steel, which implies additional environmental burden and higher production costs. Steel structures can be reused in different ways, either by incorporating into a new structure the steel elements obtained through dismantling old buildings or by rehabilitating an old steel structure to make it meet the current design requirements. The aim of the thesis is the adaptive reuse of the CMMC Department steel hall (60 years old) by extending its service life through a structural upgrade. The main issue is due to the change of codes and norms from the time of initial design; the current design codes operate with increased climate and seismic loads. Moreover, a part of the primary structure was severely damaged during a recent storm, making the rehabilitation even more important and urgent. The structure was inspected in order to observe the imperfections and existing damage; the welds were evaluated by dye penetrant inspection in order to assess if they had been damaged over time. Non-destructive hardness tests were performed on the structural elements in order to determine the steel grade of the material. The proposed technical solution has been validated through an advanced analysis.