STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT OF A 50-YEAR OLD REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING IN HONG KONG

摘要

A recent hot debate in Hong Kong is whether buildings of 50 years old should be demolished for re-development or repaired for extending its life. One school of thought is that these buildings are now near the end of their life as currently the normal design life of R.C. buildings is taken as 50 years. The other thought is that the residual life of a building depends on the condition of its structural elements. A study of a building of 50 years old reveals that the conditions of reinforced concrete satisfy most requirements except carbonation depth has exceeded the concrete cover. This paper examines the structural condition of the building and reviews the implication of the design life of concrete structures.