The Austonian

Standing at 683 feet and 59 stories tall, The Austonian is a prominent high-rise condominium in Downtown Austin, TX, and the city’s third tallest building. Built with reinforced concrete and unbonded, post-tensioned slabs, it features 1.7 miles of exposed concrete edges. However, six years after its completion, a five-foot segment detached from a balcony, raising significant safety concerns.

Inspections revealed that over 85% of slab edges had inadequate concrete cover, leading to corrosion and premature deterioration. STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES joined the team to develop a repair strategy, exploring options like sacrificial anodes and fiber-reinforced polymers. It was essential to address the root cause and ensure compliance with building code requirements, all while considering sustainable practices in the repair process.

To effectively tackle the problem, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES identified advanced strengthening methods, including glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) dowels and reinforcing bars, near-surface mounted (NSM) reinforcement, and surface-applied carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) anchors and sheets.

As the exclusive licensee of STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES, STRUCTURAL executed the repairs. Given the building’s height, ensuring safe access and completion was critical. Comprehensive plans were implemented to minimize the risk of dropped objects impacting the bustling area below.

The project was a success, earning the 2020 Project of the Year Award from the International Concrete Repair Institute.