Fábrica do Paleão: structural assessment of iron in Portugal’s industrial heritage

Fábrica do Paleão was erected as a flagship textile factory in Portugal between 1888 and 1891. The factory was constructed with a sawtooth roof supported by iron trusses, allowing light open spaces to accommodate heavy machinery and promote industrial activity. With the aim of preserving this exemplary representative of industrial heritage in Portugal, this work seeks to establish the buildings’ historical significance and assess their structural adequacy for present and future uses. After performing a global historical survey and visual inspection, this study focused on the main industrial spaces. An in-depth visual inspection provided key geometric and material parameters as well as a damage assessment. Damage mapping revealed the effects of moisture throughout the structure, which is caused by the lack of maintenance in recent years. To assess the impact of the damages and obtain key parameters for a further structural and safety analysis, in situ tests were performed on the cast-iron columns. The columns were tested for hardness, and comparison to known values indicates that they align with ordinary to high-strength cast iron. A representative single frame was modelled for each of the two main rooms, and a safety analysis was performed to assess the structure’s safety.