Condition assessment plays a critical role in understanding the performance of existing structures, where ageing, environmental exposure, increased loading, and material degradation can lead to progressive deterioration such as cracking, corrosion, section loss, and reduced structural capacity. Through timely investigation and informed decision‑making, condition assessment supports sustainable infrastructure by enabling targeted intervention, extending service life, reducing unnecessary replacement, and minimising material use and whole‑life carbon impacts.
This lecture will provide an overview of common deterioration mechanisms in reinforced concrete structures, outline best‑practice strategies for undertaking condition assessments, and discuss tools and techniques available to support engineers throughout the assessment process. The session will show some of the real‑world projects and case studies.
Dr Shahnur Alam Sourav (CEng MIEI) is a Senior Engineer at WSP UK Ltd, specialising in the condition assessment, investigation, and management of existing concrete and bridge structures. He holds a PhD in concrete technology and has experience in structural inspections, non destructive testing, and durability assessment for highway and civil infrastructure projects, including management of post-tensioned bridges across the UK and Ireland. He has a strong focus on the application of advanced investigation techniques to support sustainable planning, maintenance, and service life extension of ageing assets.