IN SITU TEST
AND DIAGNOSTICS

There is a wide range of tools and techniques of relief to evaluate the actual integrity of a work and to check the state of conservation of the materials. P&P uses multiple testing methods applicable to structures already in operation or under construction.

The diagnostic intervention program provides for the definition of the types and number of control techniques, considering the following main aspects:

• • type of work: concrete, masonry, steel
  • information on geometries, dimensions, nature of materials, integrity of components, etc ...
  • accessibility on the work
  • speed of execution of the intervention and estimate of the extent of any period of outage of the work

The experience and specific expertise in the fields of civil and industrial construction, transport infrastructures, monumental assets and industrial plants, allows P&P to offer its customers the optimal solution.

Thermography is an effective diagnostic technology in various fields of application, including construction and the industrial sector. Through the use of infrared cameras, it is possible to make visible and analyze the emission of energy in the form of infrared rays, which all bodies emit, otherwise invisible to the human eye. By carrying out non-destructive and non-invasive checks, the two-dimensional graphic display of the irradiation measurement is obtained.

Thermography allows you to view absolute values and temperature variations of the artifacts regardless of their illumination in the visible range. It thus allows us to identify anomalies in the energy emission of a body.

All thermographic measurements are carried out by 2nd level personnel according to ISO 9712 UN EN 473 standards.

P&P performs analyzes on wooden structures to provide indications for the purpose of a qualitative assessment of the wood samples examined and then proceed to the recognition of the wood species through the anatomical characterization of the cellular elements, as reported in the UNI 11119 standard of 2004.

The main investigations conducted are: 

• Visual inspection of the wooden structure and mapping of degradation: macroscopic analysis of the wood species based on the recognition of the presence of the anatomical elements detectable on the basis of visual examination.
• Penetrometric tests with Resistograph: instrumental analysis that allows to integrate the analyzes carried out visually. The Resistograph is, in essence, an instrumented drill capable of recording the resistance that the wood opposes to the entry of a tip equipped with a combined movement of rotation and advancement at a constant speed. Furthermore, the test allows to analyze inaccessible portions of the structure, that is the internal parts and the supports on the walls.
• “Wood Pecker” wood hammer: the Woodpecker is basically a penetrometer that uses a hammer equipped with a needle that is inserted into the wooden fabric. It is possible to correlate the sinking of the needle and the relative number of strokes necessary for the insertion to the mechanical characteristics, the nature of the wooden material and its conservation within the investigated element. The test method is therefore particularly suitable for the mechanical evaluation of the wooden tissue on site.
• Hygrometric tests on wood: a digital wood hygrometer is used to evaluate the relative humidity in wooden elements. This instrument is a digitally mounted humidity meter capable of determining the amount of water inside the different elements with automatic compensation based on the environmental temperature.

P&P performs numerous types of tests for the characterization of foundation structures with reference to piles and diaphragms. Specifically, the following are performed:

• Static load tests on poles even with high thrust loads: : static load tests with measurement of the displacements of the pole or micropile aimed at testing the product, conducted with thrust systems even at high load.
• Extraction tests on micropiles: extraction tests on micropiles for the testing of manufactured items sized for tensile loads
• Non-destructive tests with ecometric method (mechanical admittance with top impulse): verification of the length of the pole or micropile and integrity of the section along the shaft by analyzing the response to a sonic impulse impressed at the head of the product
• Dynamic tests with low or high energy vertical axis excitation (mechanical admittance with vertical exciter):  verification of the length of the pole or micropile and integrity of the section along the shaft by analyzing the response to a vibratory stress impressed on the head of the product through an electrodynamic exciter with vertical axis operating in the frequency range 50 ÷ 1000 Hz. In addition to what can be deduced from the ecometric tests, it is possible to evaluate the behavior of the pole through some indications relating to the pole-ground interaction.
  
• Dynamic tests with high-energy vibrodine with counter-rotating shafts: verification of the length of the pole or micropile and integrity of the section along the shaft by analyzing the response to a vibratory stress impressed on the head of the product through an electrodynamic exciter with counter-rotating shafts operating in the frequency range 1 ÷ 50 Hz. In addition to what can be inferred from the ecometric tests, with reference to the pole-ground interaction, it is possible to evaluate the degree of constraint of the building and an estimate of the bearing capacity through the use appropriate correlation formulas.
• Sonic cross-hole investigation: verification of the length of the pole or micropile and integrity of the section along the shaft through the analysis of the response to a sonic excitation impressed by means of probes lowered into specially prepared tubes before casting the pole. The test also shows in graphic form the behavior and geometric characteristics along the development of the pole examined.

The slipperiness test performed on flooring is carried out to detect the dynamic friction coefficient, determined in the actual conditions of use of the flooring, as required by Italian law DM 236/89 art. 8.2.2.

The Italian Ministerial Decree n. 236 of 1989 ("Technical requirements necessary to guarantee the accessibility, adaptability and visitability of private buildings and subsidized and subsidized public residential buildings, for the purpose of overcoming and eliminating architectural barriers", Published in the Official Gazette no. 145 of 23 June 1989), in point 8.2.2 "Floors", establishes that floorings must be non-slip, meaning floorings made with materials whose friction coefficient, measured with the B.C.R.A. method, is higher to the following values:
- 0.40 for leather sliding element on dry pavement
- 0.40 for standard hard rubber sliding element on wet pavement

P&P offers slipperiness tests using the Dynamic Slip DS slipperimeter, which allows the dynamic friction coefficient COF to be determined with the B.C.R.A. method, therefore in line with the Ministerial Decree. n. 236/1989.

P&P also carries out tests using the pendulum equipment called Skid Tester which provides the SRV Slip Index to be related to the comparison values ​​recommended by the UK Slip Resistance Group.

Reference standards:

ASTM E303: Measuring surface frictional properties using the British Pendulum Tester

The Assessment of Floor Slip Resistance – Guidelines – UK Slip Resistence Group – January 2006

To characterize the type of steel used for metal carpentry structures, non-destructive Rockwell hardness tests are carried out according to UNI EN ISO 6508.
The measurement of the in-situ surface hardness of the steel (resistance that the surface of the material opposes to its penetration) allows us to deduce the mechanical tensile strength class of the material. To carry out the tests, a durometer capable of directly providing the resistance of the material was used.

These investigations were carried out referring to the Rockwell hardness scale, but with the same methodology it is possible to carry out tests with other scales, such as Brinell according to the UNI EN ISO 6506 standard, Vickers according to the UNI EN ISO 6507 standard, Lebb according to the UNI EN ISO 16859 standard.