The Shelbourne Hotel - Long Term Innovative Treatment of Corroding Steel Frame

The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin first opened in 1824 and is without doubt one of the most prestigious and well known hotels in Ireland. Throughout the building’s history, numerous structural alterations have occurred, one of... [ view full abstract ]

The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin first opened in 1824 and is without doubt one of the most prestigious and well known hotels in Ireland. Throughout the building’s history, numerous structural alterations have occurred, one of which was the addition of an extra floor, believed to have been undertaken in 1901-1902. Structural steelwork was installed at a high level which was subsequently encased in concrete. During the recent remedial Works to the external façade of the hotel, this steelwork was observed to be corroding with the expansive accumulation of rust product causing the encased concrete to crack. Steel frame corrosion (also known as ‘Regents Street Disease’) is becoming more problematic as these structures start to show their age and its early detection and correct diagnosis is vital for the future serviceability of the structure. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) was undertaken on the concrete and an innovative cathodic protection treatment was installed using Hybrid Sacrificial Anodes to re-passivate the steel/concrete interface and provide long-term galvanic protection. A remote monitoring system was also installed to provide continuous feedback on the system’s performance and trigger values have been set as early warnings to detect any adverse changes. This paper will look at Regents Street Disease in more detail including its: causes; detection; and possible repair scenarios based on the authors experiences.