Determination of the conservation status of anchored structures in Austria

Anchored structures are often the most economical solution for the construction of infrastructure routes as well as for the permanent stabilisation of cuts and slopes. In addition to load-bearing capacity and serviceability, durability is one of the key requirements to ensure the reliability of such structures over their planned service life. To assess the condition of anchored structures, anchor lock-off-tests are commonly performed in addition to visual inspections. In this test, the force currently acting on the anchor is determined by lifting the wedge plate or anchor nut off the anchor plate to allow a comparison with the initial pre-stress load. Usually, exactly the same equipment is used for this test as for pre-stressing the anchor. Thus, performing such on-site tests is generally time-consuming and labour-intensive. This paper provides an insight into the state-of-the-art regarding the condition assessment of anchored structures in Austria. Moreover, an overview of recent developments related to equipment, optimisation of its use and on-site applicability is given.