strengthening

Various factors can trigger the need to strengthen a structure in order to achieve compliance with structural design requirements:

• its deterioration over time,
• an increase in loading,
• a change of design codes, or
• a deficit in an element that had not been properly designed or executed at the construction stage.

VSL can propose a full package including the comparison and selection of suitable solutions, design and detailing, supply and installation of strengthening systems and the undertaking of all associated site works.

Your collaboration with VSL starts with an assessment of the strengthening needs. Thanks to our technical expertise and operational knowledge, VSL can engineer the best solution making use of a wide portfolio of active or passive strengthening systems:

• We carry out critical strengthening works ourselves, guaranteeing the highest safety and quality standards while increasing efficiency by eliminating interfaces between multiple parties.
• Our experienced engineering teams adapt each strengthening measure to the local requirements and develop creative methods to facilitate safe interventions even when works have to be done under live traffic or where operation of the asset cannot be halted.

VSL delivers a variety of solutions to meet the project’s needs, including:

• strengthening to counter deformation
• shear reinforcement
• strengthening against punching shear
• increasing foundation capacity
• seismic strengthening
• stability enhancements

To do so we supply and install a wide range of strengthening systems, such as:

• Additional post-tensioned tendons
• Use of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) for strengthening and jacketing
• Addition of steel plates or other composite solutions
• Enlargement of structural sections
• Strengthening of foundations using jet grouting, ground anchors or soil nails
• Modifications to structural systems to create or restrain degrees of freedom