CERAM relieves the load for Glasgow Gallery

Developers called in CERAM Building Technology to do extensive refurbishment work to the splendid Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow.

Wanting to do extensive refurbishment work to the splendid Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, but not sure how well the old building would stand up to it and the extra load it would hold was a dilemma until the developers called in CERAM Building Technology (CBT).

CBT is a division of CERAM the internationally renowned centre for materials and technology, based in Stoke-on-Trent.

CBT's experts were able to undertake on-site load testing to determine whether immediate constraints were needed to be applied to contractors during the refurbishment work.

On-site testing relates to the performance of early structures where it cannot be demonstrated by calculation that adequate safety has been maintained after years of use and perhaps showing some signs of deterioration.

This is often the case with listed buildings and the possibility of sampling to provide data for use in engineering calculations is limited hence some non-destructive load testing is considered as something of a last resort.

The Art Gallery and Museum was closed in 2003 for major refurbishment, costing £28M and is due to open in Summer 2006.

The gallery floors were in the Hennebique design of reinforced concrete and were cast in 1896.

Core samples indicated relatively poor concrete strength and although the design was a forerunner of modern reinforced concrete design it could not be assured that the floors could safely carry additional loads from both artefacts and visitors.

The testing itself was not without challenges, as Geoff Edgell of CBT explained: "The ground floor beneath the areas to be loaded contained a number of "permanent" display cabinets, themselves of historical value, which would not be moved".

"As the display cabinets and structure itself were sensitive, loading needed to be done by dead weight and water could not be tolerated".

The team involved in the refurbishment project were relieved at the results of the testing which demonstrated that the floors were up to the job of withstanding the proposed loadings.

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