PSI - Issue 78

Emanuele Maiorana et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 78 (2026) 57–64

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4. In-situ investigations

Prior to conducting on-site structural investigations of walls and floors, existing documentation was reviewed, including: a) 2010 load test of a representative floor assembly, and b) subsequent 2020 verification tests. These tests conclusively demonstrated that the floors meet the 300 kg/m² load-bearing capacity required by current school building regulations. Fig. 8 illustrates the test locations across the building's three levels, while Fig. 9 presents detailed results from Test 13C.

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b

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Fig. 8. Location of the tests carried out: (a) ground floor, (b) first floor and (c) second floor.

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b

Fig. 9. Test 13C: (a) test location and (b) results.

In particular, the following tests were performed: • n. 19 breaches and holes on the main walls in order to obtain the stratigraphy; • n. 4 sonreb (ultrasound + sclerometer) on concrete elements; • n. 6 tests with double jacks; • n. 2 shove tests on solid brick walls; • n. 2 penetrometer tests on mortar.

Additional insights were obtained through localized plaster removal (50 × 50 cm sections) for flat jack testing approximately 20 cm above floor level, enabling verification of masonry stress states. Strategic plaster removal at corner junctions and wall intersections (Fig. 10) facilitated assessment of actual bonding conditions between perpendicular and continuous walls. The experimental data enabled precise determination of mechanical properties,