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DIGITAL MICRO DRILLING
For many years Robinsons have been carrying out repairs to structural
timber in historic buildings. The initial diagnosis of the decay in some
members can be quite destructive. For instance, in some of the larger
members decay sometimes will exist in the hidden ends which are buried
within the wall or even in the center of the timber which is unavailable
for inspection. Inspection would sometimes involve the drilling of the
large section beams with auger bits or the removal of brickwork around
the ends of the timber so one should inspect the area where evaporation
of moisture will not occur and where decay is most likely. These
investigation works are sometimes essential when surveying a complex
structure. They can be costly and can cause damage to historic fabric
and can sometimes prove to be non-productive, as the beam may be fine.
At Robinson's we have recently embraced a method of inspection that
incorporates the use of the latest technology. This system was developed
by Sibert Technology Ltd and is based on the principle that the
difference between probing harder or softer wood can be felt because of
the varying resistance of the different types of wood.
The drill inserts a 1.7mm probe into the wood at 7000 revolutions per
minute that leaves holes of approx 1mm diameter. As the probe enters the
timber the hardness is measure by light sensors. This information is
recorded digitally and then can be presented in graph form
The Drill
The drill is portable compact and lightweight and comes with its own
power source so is completely mobile. The digital information is stored
on a small hand held computer. The probes can drill up to depths of 1
metre through all types of softwood and hardwood timbers.
The Results
The results can be presented in graph form using standard PC Soft ware.
The system of inspection can be used for the following.
Check condition of trees for safety purposes.
Detect timber decay in all forms of timber. Including hidden timber
beams and historic timber frame construction
Accurately measure pattern of growth rings to establish dendrochronology
of historic timbers
For further details contact Warren Shepherd
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