Measurements made during the restoration of a tower on a Middle-Age castle

The structural state of the Runneburg in Thuringia, which is one of the most significant remaining romantic, secular buildings in central Germany, requires immediate and comprehensive restoration work.

The structural state of the Runneburg in Thuringia, which is one of the most significant remaining romantic, secular buildings in central Germany, requires immediate and comprehensive restoration work. The castle tower is under severe risk due to settlement and masonry deterioration. The objectives of its restoration are improved anchorage with the foundations and replacement of the damaged masonry.

To achieve this, a ring-beam is to be placed around the tower and half-way up its height. The collar is supported by steel braces held up by injected piles. Measurements have been taken to investigate the load transfer through the injected piles into the ground and also the shearing characteristics of the doweled joint between the ring-beam and the tower masonry. The signals supplied by the strain gages and the force and displacement transducers are acquired on-line and evaluated. The results are immediately displayed on the monitor.