CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF THE HISTORICAL BUILDING OF BHOPAL, (INDIA) USING PASSIVE INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY

The historical monuments are conserved to pass the magnificent culture and heritage to the next generations. The condition assessment of buildings subjected to degradation due to environmental impacts is important before any interventions. Nondestructive testing and evaluation can be adopted for the assessment of the present condition of the structures. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-destructive method in which real-time measurement of the temperature without contacting the structure is done. This NDT is widely accepted nowadays and has matured as an inspection method. The structures associated with the reign of the ancient Bhopal rulers approximately 300-110 years old are studied for assessing their present conditions. The damages due to intrusion of moisture, cracks, and delamination are imaged. Three historical buildings inspected were – Chaman Mahal, Rani Mahal, and Saifia arts and commerce college. The results showed the current state of the buildings and established the IRT as an evaluation technique for a historical building.