Non-Invasive Testing Methods for Historic Buildings

The five day course on 'Non- Invasive Testing Methods for Historic Buildings' by CEPT Professional Programs was conducted on the 26th July- 30th July 2022. The course was designed as a workshop for participants to develop skills of conducting Non-Destructive Tests (NDT) and Minor Destructive Tests (MDT) for historic buildings through hands-on engagement and exercises at CEPT's Conservation Site school in Dharmaj. NDT and MDT methods of material investigation are imperative for retaining maximum historic fabric while providing useful information regarding the building material and structure. The course provided an opportunity to learn through engagement at the conservation site and working at the CEPT Conservation Laboratory.

Nigar Shaikh (Conservation Engineer) and Ashna Patel (Urban Regeneration) were the course faculty. Khushi Shah (Conservation Architect), Dr. Aanal Shah (Structural Engineer, Dean, Faculty of Technology, CEPT University), Mehul Shah (Structural Engineer at Ami Engineers) and Dr. Arun Menon  (Professor of Structural Engineering at IIT Madras)  were the Guest Speakers for the course. The tutors were supported by Jayashree Bardhan, Audrey Alvares, and Drashti Nakrani along with CPP and CRDF team.

The course was divided into five sessions. The first session included on site exercise for identification of various factors that help in determining the scope of NDT and MDT. The participants carried out geometric survey of the site in order to understand the change in levels, deflections or indication of settlement. This was then followed by a visual condition mapping of the site and understanding water ingress paths and critical areas.

In the second and third sessions the participants engaged with NDT/MDT equipment such as Ultra Sonic Pulse Velocity, Rebound hammer, Borescope, Rebar detector, Moisture meter etc. The participants were exposed to hands-on experiences of identifying areas to be tested, surface preparations, sequence of testing, operating NDT/MDT equipment, understanding the challenges of execution and interpretation of the results.

In the fourth session , the Minor destructive test brick samples from the site and timber prototype specimens were tested for their mechanical properties at CEPT Laboratory. The results helped participants to get accurate quantified strength of the material used at the historic site.

Final Day incorporated a series of input lectures from guest speakers Dr. Aanal Shah, Khushi Shah, Dr. Arun Menon and Mehul Shah discussing the aspects of use of non-invasive methods of testing for historic sites. These input sessions threw light on topics such as an overview of NDT/MDT, special case studies, precautions and challenges of non-invasive test applications. The workshop ended by giving the participants an overall summary of the workshop and a way forward.