Reliability of Exceptional Structures

Publication Fa01

Authors

Michael H. Faber

Abstract

Codes for the design of structures provide a practical instrument for ensuring that the reliability of normal purpose structures is sufficient and overall cost efficient. Modern design codes, such as the Eurocodes have been calibrated using principles of decision theory and methods of structural reliability. For the purpose of maintaining a simple design format the design codes are, however, only calibrated for the most relevant types of structures, materials and load combinations. The design codes thus have a limited domain of application and therefore whenever exceptional structures are considered it is necessary to perform reliability assessments specifically for the structure of consideration. The present paper first introduces various categories of exceptional structures and thereafter describes the basic principles for the assessment of the reliability of such structures. Finally an example considering some of the practical aspects of reliability assessment of exceptional structures are given.

Published in/by

In: Congress Documentation Saarbrücken - World Congress Safety of Modern Technical Systems, ed. TÜV Saarland Foundation, Verlag TÜV Rheinland, Köln 2001.