Below ground structures are highly susceptible to water damage and must be properly protected to avoid expensive damage. With parking structures, it is often even more critical because the entrance ramps are typically exposed to the elements and water infiltration is hard to avoid. We were contacted to evaluate this property after the property manager observed portions of the concrete beams supporting the entrance ramp beginning to fall onto the ramp below.
We observed that the entrance ramp had not been properly maintained and was allowing water to seep into the supporting beams. As the reinforcement in the concrete beams began to corrode, the reinforcement swelled in a phenomenon known as rust jacking and caused failure in portions of the beams. Considering the observed damage, we reviewed the structural drawings to determine the remaining capacity of the damaged beams. We also found that some of the damage was related to original construction errors. Repair documents were produced to restore the lost capacity of the concrete beams and correct the construction defects.
