Dr. Fixit Institute of Structural Protection & Rehabilitation (DFI-SPR) is a not for-profit company registered under section 25 of the Indian Companies Act, 1956 with a vision to become a premier national knowledge and skill development centre in waterproofing, repair and other areas of renewal engineering. The Institute is promoted by the well known industrial group Pidilite Industries Ltd.
One of the primary missions of the Institute is to offer advisory services in structural repair, restoration, waterpoofing and distress assessment of concrete structures with the state of art Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory (ADL) facilities.
Dr. Fixit Institute of Structural Protection & Rehabilitation
The Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory has been created with a blend of conventional and advanced in- situ testing facilities in such a manner that there is wide option for the choice of test methods, the extent and location of the tests and the way in which the results are interpreted. The prime objective is to ensure that the test results are precise and accurate, which are often not so in non-destructive or semi-destructive testing carried out by various agencies.
The ADL has been set up to help the construction industries in the following three aspects
We provide for the following advisory services:
Additionally, we do quality evaluations of fine and coarse aggregate, mineral admixture, cement pastes, cement paste aggregate bonding, air voids in concrete, and corrosion of reinforcing steel, nature of crack & extent of carbonation etc.
On-site investigation is an important aspect of condition assessment of the structure
Non-destructive testing can be required for many different reasons
We have facilities to conduct NDT testing like, Schmidt rebound hammer test, Ultrasonic pulse velocity test, Crack monitoring with digital crack microscope, Half-cell potential test and Electromagnetic testing of rebar and Infra red Thermography.
In-situ compressive strength of concrete carried out by extracting core samples to correlate with NDT results.
Measuring the rate of corrosion in steel reinforcement by Galvanostatic Pulse measurement |
IR Thermography to detect delamination and voids of concrete as well to find out the source of water leakage and location of water pipe |
The need for testing frequently arises as an essential component of a wider exercise which can involve product development, product selection, quality control, condition appraisal or failure analysis.
Physical, mechanical and chemical testing of concrete.
Services include performance test on waterproofing membrane such as water permeability and hydrostatic pressure resistance test.
Various types of chemical analysis required for the studies of cement and concrete are undertaken by us. Particularly, we use precison analytical techniques for the determination of the following:
Rapid Chloride Permeability Test (RCPT) of concrete is carried out to find out the diffusion of chloride ions.
Classical chemistry continues to play an important part in the analysis of construction materials |
Measuring Chloride diffusion of concrete samples by RCPT |
The highly experienced team with the help of modern microscopic facilities conducts detailed examinations of concrete, stone and other building materials in order to predict their behaviour and where necessary to investigate defects and causes of failure.
Petrographic examinations of concrete are typically performed when problems arise during construction phase or premature failure of an existing concrete structure occurs. Petrographic examinations are also performed as part of a condition study to determine if a concrete structure needs to be replaced or if it can be rehabilitated.
Some Views of microscopic facilities
We have extensive experience in diagnosing and solving concrete related problems during construction or at some subsequent time, these services include:
Problems | Diagnosis method |
1. Defecticiencies in Concrete Quality | |
a. Quality of cover concrete |
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b. Non-uniformity of Concrete, Honey combs Voids &,Cracks etc |
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2. Rebar Corrosion |
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3. Failure of Waterproofing system |
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4. Fire damages of concrete |
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5. Chemical Attack on Concrete | |
a. Carbonation |
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b. Alkali Silica Reaction |
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c. Chloride concentration |
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d. Sulphate attack |
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Industrial buildings encounter special types of problems, some emanating from the manufacturing processes being undertaken which may use chemicals or yield products severely harmful to structures. We have been involved in specifying materials or material treatments for specialist applications to enhance the design and provide improved performance. Refineries, fertilizer plants, chemical plants and other industrial structures deteriorate due to severe exposure conditions. We specialize in NDT testing and provide guidance for repair and rehabilitation of those structures.
We carry out the condition assessment of structures for bridges, flyovers, culverts, roadways & pavements etc.
Due to offshore locations deterioration of these structures are very fast. We do NDT and consultancy services for repair, rehabilitation and protection measures for durability.
Public buildings, whilst incorporating high levels of safety and durability, are often designed and constructed to very tight budget constraints. Our post-construction activities have included functions as varied as appraisal of failures and repair solutions as well as the resolution of numerous water leakage problems.
The developers of large scale projects normally have high expectations in respect of speed and cost effectiveness - a scenario that can lead to in-built deficiencies if sufficient relevant expertise is not injected at the right stages. Once the project is completed, we can provide assistance to the owner in maintaining his property through planned preventative maintenance. These services are provided to developers, architects, engineers, project managers and contractors; the role may vary but the aim for quality & value continues.
Large numbers of buildings in housing societies deteriorate due to poor maintenance. We do condition assessment of those building and guide the society for repair and maintenance of their structures.