Rmeil 688, built in the first half of the 20th century, is composed of three floors (GF+2). The ground floor is used for commercial purposes, and the upper residential floors are composed of a ‘central hall type’, with a triple bay on the main façade. The materials with which it was built are sandstone, bricks, wood and concrete. The roof structure, which is the subject of our report, is composed of a concrete slab and traditional wooden roofing: The four sloped framework is made of Qotrani wooden frame. The false ceiling of the framework is composed of Baghdadi supported by joists. The ceiling of the rear rooms is composed of Qotrani wooden beams, wooden panels covered by lime plaster.
The building is located in the heart of Mar Mikhael and took a hard hit from the explosion. The building had some structural damages, and the pitched roof was completely destroyed. Structural consolidation for the entire building was an urgent priority to consolidate the roof. In order to rapidly consolidate the first and second floors, and since the Baghdadi roof structure was heavily damaged, a tarpaulin cover was installed to allow for work on the lower floors first, to then reconstruct the roof with a wooden structure and red tiles.
