Developing a next-level computational modeling framework to predict the long-term performance of old buildings

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The availability of resources, climate change, and increased frequency of extreme environmental actions force us to conserve our building stock in a cost- and time-efficient manner. Thus, it is significant to implement preventive and proactive measures for the existing buildings that help navigate resources efficiently, which will benefit the economy as well as the environment. Recent and past events indicate that many old buildings and structures were demolished from the Canadian landscape. To this end, the proposed international collaboration explores the deterioration process of masonry buildings under sustained live and dead loads considering their damaged (as-is) condition. The accurate estimation of the life expectancy of the aged masonry building stock is key to achieving sustainable conservation plans and preventing unexpected partial/full life-threatening collapses. This unique collaborative work will form a bridge between a cutting-edge computational modeling approach and remote sensing techniques by developing an interface tool that can process visual data and detect structural damages. An improved understanding of the aging and damage progression of the existing building stock in collaboration with the UK partner will offer invaluable benefits to the local authorities and policymakers. This will allow them to prioritize the most vulnerable structures to be repaired, and Canada will efficiently use its resources and be able to plan the budget for the next decades.