Industrial Chimney at Conde Ferreira
A structural survey and diagnosis, safety assessment and conservation project were carried out for an industrial chimney in solid brick masonry, integrated within the Centro Hospitalar Conde Ferreira complex, in Porto.
Concept & Challenge
The chimney, standing 21.50 m tall with a circular plan in solid brick masonry, forms part of the Centro Hospitalar Conde Ferreira complex. The intervention required assessing the structural safety of a singular industrial element under wind and seismic loading, without resorting to intrusive techniques that could compromise its integrity.
Approach & Methodology
The approach combined visual inspection and damage mapping with in-situ dynamic identification testing and shell finite element numerical modelling. The model was calibrated against the dynamic test results, allowing a rigorous assessment of the structure's actual behaviour, one of the most effective non-intrusive techniques for the mechanical characterisation of existing structures.
Solution & Results
The safety assessment, supported by the calibrated model, identified the most heavily loaded zones of the chimney and provided the technical basis for the strengthening measures adopted. The solution was entirely grounded in the data gathered during the survey campaign, ensuring an intervention proportionate to the structure's actual needs and compatible with its long-term preservation.
Understanding the real behaviour of a structure before intervening is not a bureaucratic requirement it is the only way to intervene well.
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