ELCZ

LUTHERAN HOUSE
STAND NUMBER 957 BULAWAYO
STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT
(VIBRATIONS)

Compiled by: Mbuyiseli Ncube

Reviewed by: Eng. Noreen Dube (PrEng)
MAY 2016

NSV & ASSOCIATES

301 C.I.P.F CENTRE
JASON MOYO BTWN 9TH & 10TH AVENUE
BULAWAYO
ZIMBABWE

ELCZ - LUTHERAN HOUSE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENTS- VIBRATIONS

MAY 2016

ELCZ REFERENCE INFORMATION:

Project Information:
Contract reference #:
Project name: LUTHERAN HOUSE STRUCTURAL SURVEY VIBRATIONS
Contact Information:
ELCZ
Office Details:
7 Lawley Road
Suburbs
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Tel:
Fax:
Mobile:
E-mail:
NSV & ASSOCIATES REFERENCE INFORMATION:
Project Information:
Project reference #: 2200A.11.16
Project name: LUTHERAN HOUSE STRUCTURAL SURVEY VIBRATIONS
Contact Information:
Eng. Noreen Dube
NSV & Associates
Suite 301 C.I.P.F Centre
Jason Moyo Btwn 9th & 10th Avenue
Bulawayo
Tel: 09-63634 / 63636
Fax: 09-63639
Mobile: 0772 713 054, 0776 174 166
E-mail: nsv.consulting.eng@gmail.com; noreendube.dube@gmail.com , esq.scotch@gmail.com

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ELCZ - LUTHERAN HOUSE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENTS- VIBRATIONS

MAY 2016

Table of Contents
1.
1.1.
2.
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
2.5.
2.6.
3.
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.

GENERAL

Executive summary

PART ONE: BUILDING VIBRATIONS

Background
Deliverables & possible causes
Existing information.
Site investigations
Discussions & Recommendations
Conclusion

4
4
5
6
7
9

PART TWO: STAIRCASE

10

Background
Existing information
The structural Investigations
Conclusion

10
10
10
13

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: General distressed staircase elevation: .................................................................................... 11
Figure 2: Exposed reinforcement on beam at 2nd landing level .............................................................. 11
Figure 3: Cover measure on one beam ................................................................................................... 11
Figure 4: Exposed rebar on landing slab ................................................................................................ 12
Figure 5: The rebar found on site ........................................................................................................... 12
Figure 6: Exposed rebar on column........................................................................................................ 12

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ELCZ - LUTHERAN HOUSE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENTS- VIBRATIONS

1.

MAY 2016

GENERAL

1.1.

Executive summary
Foreword: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ) was founded in 1903 by
missionaries of the Church of Sweden Mission (CSM) and African evangelists from Natal
(South Africa). Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) was a mission field for the Lutheran
Church in Natal.
Complaints of vibrations experienced at first floor when heavy vehicles pass by were received
from a tenant at the Lutheran House. ELCZ commissioned NSV & Associates in April 2016 to
carry out a structural assessment of the Lutheran House in Bulawayo and prepare a Due
Diligence Report.
The objectives of the assessment were:
Assessment of structural drawings to understand the nature of the structure
To determine the extent of the vibrations
To identify visual defects, deterioration if any.
To identify & classify the vibrations
Assess the structural integrity of the building, and give recommendations
This report is presented into two parts. Part one will focus mainly on the vibration part as
explained in (i) then Part two will cover the structural assessment of staircase.

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2.

MAY 2016

PART ONE: BUILDING VIBRATIONS

2.1.
Background
The request for investigations received from the client was due to the complaints from tenants in
office number 201 of incessant structural vibration. The structural vibrations were said to be
experienced when heavy vehicles pass by. We visited the site to assess and ascertain these
claims as well as come up with appropriate recommendations.
2.2.
Deliverables & possible causes
The purpose of this investigation was to assess the extent of the vibrations, the implications
and give appropriate recommendations. Our assessment entailed site observations for a
couple of hours in order to experience the vibrations. The engineer further interviewed
tenants.
The aspects listed below may cause the structure to vibrate and the ticked ones () or their
combination may have caused the structure to vibrate.
Internal causes
a. Machinery
b. Elevators
c. Activities of occupants.
d. Addition and removal of partitions
External causes
a. Earthquakes
b. Wind
c. Blasting
d. Construction operations
e. Road traffic

f. Interference with adjacent buildings

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2.3.

MAY 2016

Existing information.

The age of the building is unknown. The engineer found records of modifications made in 1984
and 1987. These modifications involved removal of partition walls at ground floor level. These
were found to be non-structural changes. There is no other maintenance record of the building.
We understand that the building was initially designed to be a multi-storey structure but was only
built up to second floor level. Some drawings were obtained from the Bulawayo City Council.
The drawings did not present much details leading to the conclusion that As Built drawings
were not available. The structure is composed of a concrete frame with two floors; the roof is a
concrete slab which we believe was meant to serve as the third floor. This slab is now part of the
roof and is covered by galvanized corrugated roof sheets on timber trusses.
We went on to carry out investigations as detailed in the following sub headings.

a. Activity of occupants
Annoying floor vibrations maybe caused by tenant activities. Walking, dancing, jumping,
aerobics and audience participation at music concerts are some examples of prime activities
that cause floor vibrations. Heating, ventilation and air condition systems if not properly
isolated can cause serious vibration problems. On inspection engineers found no such activity
to be occurring in the building, so this was disregarded as a possible cause of vibration.
b. Addition and removal of partition walls
The drawings obtained from the city council show addition of partition walls and provision
of cold room around 1987 to allow for a butchery occupation. We found all these changes to
be non-structural frame modifications. Thus this is will be ruled out as a possible cause.
c. Interference with adjacent buildings
Vibration of a building or associated activities can cause vibration in a structure next or
adjacent to it. Next to the Lutheran house is Matopo Book centre. We took interviews on
tenants in the building and found that there were no vibrations experienced.

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d. Road traffic vibrations

Movement of vehicles on a road with irregularities such as in the road surface e.g. potholes,
cracks, uneven manhole covers induce dynamic loads. These loads generate stress waves which
propagate through the soil, eventually reaching the foundations of adjacent buildings and causing
them to vibrate. Traffic vibrations are mainly caused by heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks.
Light vehicles rarely induce vibrations that that are perceptible in buildings.
2.4.
Site investigations
We visited site and spent time in office 201. The purpose was to experience and appreciate the
nature of the vibrations. The investigations were carried out between 0800hrs to 1200hrs.
During the time we spent there three heavy trucks passed by. We did not experience these said
vibrations.
We also carried out interviews on the tenants to ascertain their experiences.
OFFICE
NUMBER
Shop No.
2
102
117
104
201
201
202
203

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FLOOR
NO.
Ground
floor
First
floor
First
floor
First
floor
Second
floor
Second
floor
Second
floor
Second
floor

INTERVIEWEE

FINDINGS

Sakhile Sibanda

No vibrations reported
No vibrations

Mrs Sibanda

No vibrations

Miss Sibanda

No vibrations

Tshuma

Vibrations felt during a thunderstorm

Madawu

Vibrations felt when heavy trucks pass

Roof leakages
Roof leakages no vibrations

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MAY 2016

2.5.
Discussions & Recommendations
Our professional opinion is that the building vibrations are results of a possible periodical
vibrations of the adjacent pavement induced by heavy vehicle movements. This however is
subject to pavement investigations.
Building vibrations caused by road traffic are not a health and safety concern; they are more of a
problem of annoyance. Vibrations may be unacceptable to occupants because of annoying
physical sensations produced in the human body, interference with activities such as
conversation, rattling of window panes and loose objects, and fear of damage to the building and
its contents. Experience has shown that people are likely to complain if vibration levels are only
slightly above the perception threshold, the major concern being fear of damage to the building
or its contents. The tolerance level varies widely from person to person and from area to area.
Our investigations indicate that only two people felt the vibrations.
These vibrations can cause cracks in walls and ceilings, in which case we did not observe any
such cracks. However, vibration levels are rarely high enough to be the direct cause of this
damage, though they could contribute to the process of deterioration from other causes. Building
components usually have residual strains as a result of uneven soil movement, moisture and
temperature cycles, poor maintenance or past renovations and repairs. Therefore, small vibration
levels induced by road traffic could trigger damage by topping up residual strains.
Consequently, it is difficult to establish a vibration level that may cause building damage. In
some cases, when a building is subjected to vibration for many years, fatigue damage (i.e., that
caused by repeated loading) may occur if the induced stresses in the building are high enough. In
addition to damage caused directly by vibration, indirect damage may result from differential
movements caused by soil settlement due to densification. Loose sandy soils are particularly
susceptible to densification when subjected to vibration.
Based on the above discussion our recommendation is that a scheduled annual inspection be
carried out on the building to ascertain if these vibrations get worse.

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Table 1. Comparison of vibration levels (mm/sec2, rms) induced by a bus and a truck, to
demonstrate the effect of different speeds on induced vibrations.
Location

25 km/h
Bus

Ground in front of
house
External foundation
wall
Mid-point of floor in
1st storey
Mid-point of floor in
2nd storey

50 km/h

Truck

Bus

Truck

20.5

19.9

64.5

33.2

11.2

10.1

30.9

15.7

20.3

20.8

62.9

30.1

35.0

37.3

96.2

46.7

From table 1 it is seen that the second floor is the one that experiences the highest vibrations
when a car travelling at an approximate speed of 50km/h interacts with an irregularity on the
road surface, and hence could explain the fact as to why only the tenants on the second floor are
the ones that filed the complaint, and also that if cars are travelling at a minimal speed, the
vibrations are likely to be less.

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2.6.
Conclusion
Tenants may complain about vibrations if the levels are only slightly above the perception
threshold, the main concern being fear of damage to their property and discomfort. Building
damage may occur but it is unlikely to be caused solely by the vibrations themselves. Reducing
vibrations to an acceptable level could be difficult and expensive. For existing buildings, the
most practical remedial measure is road maintenance. For new developments, increasing the
distance between buildings and roads, improvement of soil structure and in ground pile barriers
could prove effective.
During the subsequent yearly inspections, should the size of vibrations increase, we would
recommend that the client approaches the City of Bulawayo and attempt to investigate and
remedy road pavement weaknesses. Structural Engineers opinion is that the structure is safe for
occupation and vibrations are not an immediate threat to human life or occupation.

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3.

MAY 2016

PART TWO: STAIRCASE

3.1.
Background
The purpose of this structural survey was to ascertain and report on the extent of structural
defects on the staircase and give recommendations for the staircases general rehabilitation. The
assessment of the structure involved field and structural analysis in order to recommend
appropriate and cost effective restoration measures.
The structural review conducted mainly focused on the:
Age of the structure
Causes of staircase structural cracks
Recommendations for rehabilitation

3.2.
Existing information
Prior to the commencement of visual inspections, the engineer sought a set of the buildings
structural layout plans and details. The drawings obtained from the city council did not provide
any detailed structural information.
3.3.
The structural Investigations
The stair case is of reinforced concrete with brick masonry guard rails. Generally the staircase
structure shows signs of distress. Cracks were observed at all levels, a significant portion of the
staircase reinforcement is exposed.

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Figure 1: General distressed staircase elevation:

The image below shows a beam at second landing level. The beam has cracks at its soffit. These cracks
have resulted in exposed reinforcement. The average cover to rebar is 15mm & this is far less than
recommended minimum of 25mm.

Figure 2: Exposed reinforcement on

beam at 2nd landing level

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Figure 3: Cover measure on

one beam

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MAY 2016

Figure 4: Exposed rebar on landing slab

The extent of exposure of the reinforcement is at a critical level. We approximate 10% of the
staircase reinforcement is exposed. The cracks shown in figure 3 will continue to increase.

Figure 5: The rebar found on site

Figure 6: Exposed rebar on column

We recommend that the rebar and concrete surface be repaired/ rehabilitated as detailed below:
a. Fix props and supports around the location to be repaired, especially in the
surroundings of damaged columns and beams.
b. Delimit the area of damage
c. Break beyond the delimited area until reaching sound concrete and steel.
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d. Saw-cut 20mm deep in 90 angle the perimeter of breaking, in order to avoid

feather edges.
e. All weak, damaged and easily removable concrete should be chipped away. If the
re-bars are only partially exposed after all unsound concrete is removed, it may
not be necessary to remove additional concrete to expose the full circumference of
the reinforcement. When the exposed reinforcement steel has loose wrap,
corrosion or is not well bonded to the surrounding concrete, the concrete removal
should continue until a clear space of 15 to 25 mm is created behind the
reinforcing steel.
f. Clean steel reinforcement with wire-brushing, sand blasting or chemical rust
remover.
g. In cases where the reinforcing bars are corroded and have lost more than 25% of
their diameter, they have to be cut and removed. In such event, removed steel bars
should be replaced with new steel bars of the same diameter either by respecting
the overlap length or by welding 100 mm length to the existing steel.
h. Remove dust by air blowing and wash with clean water to achieve a Surface
Saturated Dry (SSD) area.
i. Protection of rebar against corrosion. Rebar can be protected against corrosion
with a highly alkaline product or a zinc rich product that delays the aggressive
elements attack on steel. Examples of such products Conrep.370 PF and
Conrep.501 ZRP.
j. Concrete mix of approved mix design must be applied using an approved bonding
agent.
k. Proper curing should be performed.
3.4.
Conclusion
The staircase structure investigations indicate that a critical & immediate attention is required.
The structure will continue to deteriorate to risky levels if not rehabilitated. The debris falling
from the cracked positions poses an injury threat to occupants & passer byes. The extent of rebar
corrosion cannot be known as it is covered in sections. Excessive corrosion can weaken
reinforcement and result in structural failure.

3.5 Recommendations
We recommend that the client appoints the structural engineer to prepare specifications for
rehabilitation of the staircase & ancillary structures. Contractors can then be invited to quote for
the remedial works under the strict supervision of the engineer.

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