Extending 21.50 m above ground level, the circular plan chimney under examination is a medium-sized chimney, located in one of the buildings making up the Centro Hospitalar Conde Ferreira complex.

Following the requalification of one of the buildings forming part of the Centro Hospitalar Conde Ferreira complex, currently used as a warehouse, NCREP was asked to carry out a safety assessment and develop a project for the recovery of the existing industrial chimney made up of solid brick masonry laid on cemented mortar. 

The intervention consisted of performing the geometric survey, through visual inspection with recording and mapping of the damage observed, evaluating the causes and conducting in situ dynamic identification tests in order to determine a rehabilitation project appropriate to the object of study.

The automatic calculation program was used to develop a numerical model of finite elements of the shell with the objective of simulating the dynamic tests performed and calibrating the numerical model. This was subsequently used to evaluate chimney safety in relation to permanent and variable actions (of the wind and of earthquakes) and define structural strengthening measures.

Inspection/diagnosis activities complemented by dynamic identification tests are currently one of the most effective and complete non-intrusive (or non-destructive) techniques for in situ identification testing of the mechanical characteristics of the structures.