Knowledge Acquisition of Existing Buildings by Means of Diagnostic Surveying. Case Studies

The issue of assessing the structural safety of existing buildings involves several problems when a unique and reliable strategy of modelling and analyzing is looked for. This is mainly related to the peculiarity of each construction in a context of broad variety. In this light the structural model and consequently the judgment on structural safety should be derived from a process of knowledge of the construction carried through steps of different reliability. This paper focuses on a fundamental step of the knowledge acquisition process, which is the surveying campaign aimed at assessing some of the parameters to implement into the structural model (geometry, detailing and properties of the materials). The main aspects of a proper and effective planning of the diagnostic campaign are issued and discussed also with reference to some case studies. Special emphasis is given to the usefulness of non-destructive testing methods, the criteria underlying their selection and the relevance of their calibration.