Forensic Structural Assessment and Rehabilitation of an Existing Steel Truss Industrial Building: A Case Study

Abstract

Steel truss systems are not only the most enduring but also the most adaptable structural systems that have been widely used in various application areas like industrial buildings, warehouses, storage buildings, and factories due to their high strength, large load carrying capacity and easy combining in an architectural and structural design manner. However, the adaptability of these structures to varying functional requirements has made it the major reason for their selection in the industrial and commercial sectors.

Steel structures, despite being strong, are subjected to a range of environmental and structural deteriorations among which corrosion due to moisture and pollution is the most notorious, followed by buckling under heavy or unbalanced loads, connection failures caused by overload or poor execution quality, and their susceptibility to extreme weather, fire, and impacts. All these factors combined ultimately result in a decrease in the performance of the structure and hence the possibility of the public and property being at risk so the evaluation of the present condition and consequent rehabilitation becomes of utmost importance. This research will lead to the formulation of a comprehensive methodology for assessing the structural condition, analyzing the critical members, and designing an effective rehabilitation plan that will restore the structural performance to optimal levels and prolong the life of the building. It includes the application of field inspections, non-destructive testing, structural analysis, and establishment of rehabilitation techniques such as strengthening the already weakened members, replacement of the damaged building blocks, and Upgrading the connections and the structural supports.

The objective of this study was to take an existing industrial building with a steel truss system and produce a full case study of it. The process will include first documenting the present status and carrying out a thorough inspection of the problematic members, then continuing with the structural analysis using advanced numerical finite element modeling in STAAD.Pro to evaluate the building's baseline capacity under extreme wind, seismic, and historic snow-load drifting scenarios. The research culminates in a targeted structural recovery plan, offering a multi-criteria engineering and economic evaluation between innovative in-situ retrofitting techniques and full structural replacement to restore global frame stability and guarantee lifecycle safety.