Onsite investigation and damage assessment of artificial stone structural components

The assessment of structural concrete components relies on well-established non-destructive diagnostic techniques, within integrated and correlated testing programs, where destructive sampling might function just as limited calibration tool. The investigation purpose, from characterization of physical-mechanical parameters to identification of the state of conservation, is crucial for historical buildings, where the requirement of low-invasive interventions should face the limited availability of data on construction materials and techniques and the evidence of physiologic and pathologic decay. Particularly, the paper is going to discuss a non-destructive investigation procedure for reinforced concrete components with artificial stone cladding (lintels, jambs, parapets, brackets …) that feature several architectures of the early XX century with various solutions, in terms of mixtures, installation methods and decay patterns. That procedure, comprising ultrasonic tests, locally related to magnetometer detection, radar scanning and video-endoscopy inspection is applied to the brackets on the facades of a representative case study, the social housing complex “Duca degli Abruzzi” (Bari, Italy), in order to detect the levels of damage and, thus, address practical guidelines for treatment and conservation.