Existing Condition Evaluation

Automobile exhaust and deicing salts are both agents that can accelerate steel reinforcement corrosion in parking structures. The structure may be subject to water saturation and freeze-thaw cycles particularly along ramps and exterior walls. Original precasting methods may have resulted in expansive cracking due to delayed ettringite formation. Highbridge understands these unique conditions and tailors its examinations to provide economical analytical solutions.

There are many factors to consider when designing additions or renovations to existing buildings. Highbridge provides laboratory support to help our clients better prepare for their adaptive reuse projects. Whether aiding structural engineers with their assessment of strength or helping building envelope specialists understand hygrothermal features when retrofitting old spaces for new occupants, we can design a testing protocol to best suit your needs.

Concrete is a highly versatile material and we expect it to perform under a variety of demanding service conditions. Effective infrastructure management requires an understanding of how well concrete resists these stresses. Engineers use our data to design effective repairs, mitigate future deterioration, and reduce overall life cycle costs.

Many of our clients are tasked with performing routine façade inspections in order to identify life-safety hazards. Design professionals turn to Highbridge to help determine the cause of these hazards and to investigate the potential for damage to accelerate. Our laboratory can also evaluate the composition and characteristics of the existing envelope materials to give our clients peace of mind that their specified repairs may be successful.

Some of the most complex changes that occur in concrete happen in the marine environment where salts permeate and migrate through the cement paste, waves cause physical surface damage, and regular saturation at intertidal elevations promote freeze-thaw distress and alkali-silica reactions. Our scientists understand the challenges marine engineers face and can help plan the most effective sampling strategies, especially where underwater coring is necessary.

As experts in historic masonry materials, Highbridge is often called on to provide laboratory support for field investigators. We regularly work with our clients to design appropriate testing programs to further understand the performance and deterioration of historic stone and candidate replacement materials. These may include determining hygrothermal properties, identifying and quantifying salts, detecting swelling clays, and performing petrographic analysis to evaluate cracking or other distress.