Abstract
Angola’s colonial architectural heritage presents significant levels of deterioration associated with material ageing, insufficient maintenance, and prolonged exposure to environmental conditions. This study presents the development and application of STRUFIBER, a computational system designed to support the inspection, diagnosis, structural assessment, and preliminary definition of rehabilitation solutions for existing buildings, integrating inspection data, testing, structural modelling, and strengthening solutions using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP). The methodology combined a literature review, analysis of standards and technical procedures, visual inspection, diagnosis of pathological manifestations, analysis of test results provided by the Laboratório de Engenharia de Angola (LEA), structural modelling, and development of the computational prototype. The FAPA Building, located in Huambo, Angola, was used as a case study to test the organization and integration of data within the system. STRUFIBER enables the registration and classification of pathological manifestations, their association with structural elements, integration of testing results and external structural analyses, organization of technical information, and support for the preliminary design of FRP strengthening solutions. The rebound hammer test results indicated estimated concrete strength values that, for part of the non-fractured elements, fell within a range compatible with the C20/25 strength class, in addition to identifying manifestations such as reinforcement corrosion, deformations, cracking, and structural damage associated with exceptional actions. The application of the system also enabled the development of a preliminary CFRP strengthening proposal for selected structural elements. It is concluded that STRUFIBER shows potential as a decision-support tool and as a means of integrated information management throughout the inspection, assessment, and structural rehabilitation process of existing buildings in the Angolan context.