The Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY)’s Annual Conference featured a presentation by our Director of Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation (NDT&E), Barry Drogin. The virtual conference sessions were organized around the theme of “Maintaining the Past: Modifications & Retrofits to Existing Buildings.” Barry’s presentation, Capturing Structural Data in the Information Age—Past, Present, and Future, offered an overview of the history of non-destructive testing methods for assessing structural systems, from decades-old technology that’s still in use to the latest tools and techniques and what’s expected in the near future.

From hammer sounding by hand to high-resolution imaging by aerial drone, one factor remains constant: the physics underlying non-destructive testing. The ingenuity of the NDT&E discipline lies in finding more sophisticated ways of leveraging those immutable physical laws to meet today’s investigation challenges. Some of these challenges call for a hybrid approach—combining and correlating data from different technologies, whether time honored or cutting edge.

Various firms were invited to contribute presentations concerning preservation of existing buildings, including sessions on evaluating foundations, the history of building codes, masonry repair, and temporary shoring, as well as case studies. SUPERSTRUCTURES’ Natalie Bazile, a member of the SEAoNY Programs Committee, organized the firm’s participation in the conference.

SUPERSTRUCTURES boasts its own in-house NDT&E studio and has partnered with scores of other firms to provide NDT&E expertise for a variety of projects. We’re pleased to have had the opportunity to share that expertise with SEAoNY members.