Slab degradation is not assessed by appearance, but by the way the elements still collaborate or have ceased to do so.
A degraded slab is often presented through symptoms. For design, however, something else matters: which portion is still working, where continuity has been compromised, and what part of the system can be kept without introducing hidden risks.
Reading starts with the force path
At the Casino, some slabs had to be analysed not only through the state of the plate, but also through the relationship with the historic steel beams and with supports rebuilt over time.
Visible degradation can hide different behaviours
Two areas with a similar appearance may have completely different causes. If the treatment is uniform, there is a risk of repairing the image, not the structure.
Investigation must prepare the solution
The goal is not to describe the degradation as dramatically as possible, but to obtain exactly the information needed for choosing the intervention.
