Adapting to new constraints

Adapting existing buildings to new operating situations is an important area of rehabilitation, including geometric and/or topological modifications to the structure, its loading or its regulatory status (e.g., new requirements with regard to fire or paraseismic regulations...). All these operations to adapt to new constraints require techniques that are sometimes specific, but more often than not derived from those used for new constructions.

In France, unlike in countries such as Switzerland, there are no specific regulations governing rehabilitation. So it's up to the engineer to make the right assumptions and sometimes delicate decisions, using the battery of techniques developed in the previous chapters.

Diagnosis and knowledge of material properties are essential for making plausible assumptions. Repair operations following earthquakes,...