120 years (colonial era)
Building Age
3,200 sqm
Floor Area
CFRP + Concealed Steel
Strengthening
Grade II Listed
Heritage Status
40% capacity improvement
Load Increase
8 months design
Duration
Project Image
Structural strengthening and retrofitting of a colonial-era heritage building to meet modern safety codes. The project required careful assessment of existing structural elements, including timber trusses and masonry walls, followed by a sensitive strengthening approach using carbon fiber reinforcement and steel bracing that preserved the building's architectural character.
The 120-year-old colonial building had significant structural deterioration including corroded steel beams, cracked masonry walls, and termite-damaged timber trusses. Any strengthening intervention had to be reversible or minimally invasive to satisfy heritage conservation requirements while achieving modern seismic safety standards.
We conducted detailed material testing and 3D laser scanning to document existing conditions. The strengthening design used externally bonded CFRP strips on masonry walls, steel angle bracing concealed within wall cavities, and new timber trusses matched to original profiles. All interventions were designed to be distinguishable from original fabric per ICOMOS conservation principles.