Comprehensive Structural Assessment of Old School Buildings in Sri Lanka

The deterioration of old school buildings has become a significant challenge to the Sri Lankan Government and the educational system. This study investigated a total of twelve old school buildings, distributed across six distinct schools in Sri Lanka, all of which were constructed in the 1980s and 1990s. Visual inspection was carried out to detect the common defects of the structural elements. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Destructive Testing (DT) methods were performed to determine the existing material properties of the identified deteriorated structural elements. Utilizing the SAP2000 software, a Finite Element (FE) model was developed to simulate a representative school building, considering the architectural and structural similarities shared with the examined old school buildings. Structural analysis was carried out for the typical concrete structural elements and their capacities were closely investigated based on variables such as concrete cover, effective steel area, and grade of the concrete. According to the FE modelling results and the capacity assessment, possible retrofitting methods such as Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) jacketing and Reinforced Concrete (RC) jacketing were suggested for these school buildings. For identified minor defects, appropriate repair methods such as Patch repair and Epoxy injection methods were suggested.