1.

Scope
The question of how best to join the many parts of a building structure is
as old as building construction itself. Close examination of traditional stone,
masonry and timber construction methods reveals the various and often
ingenious solutions developed to transfer load from one part of a structure
to another. Modern building structures, whether made of wood, masonry,
concrete or steel, likewise comprise interconnected parts. The connections
take many forms.
In the design of concrete and masonry structures, attachments for the
introduction of concentrated loads as well as primary structural connections
for prefabricated components involve the use of fastening systems. These
systems are also increasingly employed in the repair and strengthening of
existing structures. The term 'fastening system' as used here encompasses
the numerous methods and products currently available to facilitate the
introduction of concentrated loads into concrete and masonry structures. The
demands of the building industry for more flexible and dependable construction
methods, and efforts to improve the performance of building structures, have
in recent years focused particular attention on the design, installation and
performance of fastening systems.
Fastening systems can be classified into cast-in-place systems and postinstalled systems.
Cast-in-place systems are placed in the formwork before casting of the
concrete. The element to be fastened is connected to the embedded part either
by the use of mechanical fasteners or by welding. Forces acting on cast-inplace systems are often distributed into the concrete member by means of
suitably placed reinforcement.
Post-installed systems may be installed in masonry or hardened concrete.
Advances in drilling technology have led to the development of increasingly
dependable post-installed systems which are widely used in new construction
as well as for repair and strengthening work.
Each fastening system is by design suited for particular applications. The
selection of the appropriate system is based on engineering, economic and
architectural considerations. Modern fastening technology offers architects
and engineers new versatility in that it provides systems for an increasingly
wide range of uses and load levels. In order to choose the correct system
for a given application and to design the fastening properly , comprehensive
knowledge of the broad range of fastening systems and their behaviour is
required. However, because the design of a particular fastening may be critical
for the behaviour of the structure in which it is used, it should be based on
sound engineering models that describe the real behaviour under load as closely
as possible.
The present state of the art cannot quantitatively account for all factors
that influence the load-bearing behaviour of fastening systems. Theoretical
models up to now have been based primarily on empirical test data. These
limitations notwithstanding, this report compiles and compares the available
experimental and theoretical research results concerning fastening systems.
In a further report, a consistent approach based on current empirical and
theoretical models for the design of fastenings will be proposed, and the effects
of fastenings and the loads they carry on the behaviour of the structure to
which they are attached will be addressed.
The various test methods for the assessment of the proper functioning
(suitability) of fastening systems are reviewed by the appropriate regulatory
bodies, e.g. UEAtc, EOT A and ASTM.