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Diagnosis of deterioration.

Diagnosis of defects starts with the need to identify the type of defect, classification of the cause, assessment of its extent, development to date, likely future progress, and its effects on the structural stability of the member or structure concerned.

Following diagnosis it may be necessary to seek further clarification with the aid of more testing. In such a case, the report from the original diagnosis should specify what actions would be expected to follow from considerations of the additional test results. This follows the general advice for all testing that tests should not be done unless it is clear what they are for and what will be done with the results.

From the final diagnosis an action plan should be developed. This may consist of a decision to ‘do nothing at present but inspect again either routinely of for specific matters at some specified date’ to a plan for extensive repairs and the adoption of an inspection and maintenance strategy for the future.

Acknowledgement: The Concrete Society

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TR54 Diagnosis of deterioration in concrete structures- identification of defects, evaluation an