PMC to conduct structural audit its 30-year-old buildings

Pune: Nine years after the government’s order making a structural audit of buildings or structures which are over 30 years old mandatory, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has now decided to conduct structural audit of its own buildings or structures which are more than 30 years old.

On Tuesday, the PMC Standing Committee approved Building Construction (Bhavan Rachana) Department’s proposal to conduct a structural audit of around 30 old buildings and the estimated cost for the same is Rs 35 lakh. 

PMC Building Construction Department Head Shivaji Lanke told Sakal Times, “For the first time, we are conducting a structural audit of our own buildings.” 

“Earlier, we did an audit of the residential quarters of the employees. Now, we have decided to conduct an audit of 30 structures, including the PMC building, an auditorium, schools, Mandai etc. We will conduct seven tests to check the strength of a structure. On the basis of the audit, we will decide if to retrofit, repair or demolish a building,” he added.
   
According to Building Construction Department, there are around 100 PMC-owned structures or buildings across the city, which include an auditorium, school buildings, employee quarters, and Mandai. Of these, there are around 50 structures that fall in the category to conduct a structural audit on priority. A structural audit includes visual inspection, nondestructive test (NDT), ultrasound test and carbonation test to check the strength of concrete and steel. 

In 2011, the State Assembly passed a bill to amend the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act, 1949, to make structural audits compulsory. It is also mandatory for occupants of old buildings to submit a structural stability certificate.

What is a structural audit?
In a framed building, it is the frame which is the heart of the building. Structural auditing is a process of assessing the present state of the frame. There are a number of factors which can make the frame weak such as after construction modifications, different usage of the building, poor maintenance, ageing, natural elements etc. Various techniques are used in the assessment of the frame’s present status. The most common and initial technique is visual and hammer tapping.