NCREP conducted a Safety Testing and Evaluation campaign for a Port Wine warehouse in V. N. Gaia

An Inspection and Structural Diagnosis Report was carried out at a Port Wine warehouse belonging to The Fladgate Partnership with the aim of assessing its conservation status and estimating the necessary rehabilitation measures. The warehouse consists of five naves with a total area of approximately 5,500m², constructed using timber roofs, reinforced concrete porticoes and stone masonry walls.

The building features five timber roofs resting atop the exterior walls of stone masonry and four longitudinal reinforced concrete porticoes, with its construction dating back to the 1940s. Following an initial assessment comprising a visual inspection and geometric characterisation of the entire structure, the testing campaign focused primarily on the timber elements of the roof and the porticoes in reinforced concrete. We highlight in particular the action of the Resistograph and Hygrometer, which evaluated the internal conservation status and water content of the timber parts respectively, as well as the Slerometer and Pacometer, which allowed us to estimate the compressive strength of the concrete and the location of the reinforcements and their diameter. 

The information collected enabled a structural safety check for vertical loads, which in turn produced important indications regarding the level of structural intervention that the building required. It was concluded that an intervention was necessary in order to restore the safety conditions required for correct use, in particular with regard to the timber roofs, for which two potential interventions were suggested. The first involved replacing the entire roof with a new one in glued laminated timber; in the alternative, we proposed a structural strengthening of the existing roof with targeted replacement of individual parts, together with a plan for monitoring its behaviour.