Long-term experiences for the safety Assessment of existing retaining structures in Styria

The road network of the Austrian state of Styria, comprises of about 5,000 retaining structures along a total distance of about 5,100 km. In order to be able to carry out a useful and efficient inspection methode to this number of structures, a risk management (priority management) concept has been developed in collaboration with a university. This is based on the recording of significant parameters regarding the stability of these structures. In addition, the damage potential resulting from a failure of a structure is given, which enables an estimation of the associated risk. These documents can also be used as a design basis or for the determination of necessary inspection measures. The approach presented here is the first version of this concept for existing retaining structures in the state road network and is currently in a phase of trial and validation.