Framework for a procedure for design for durability

The design for durability of structures and building components is in general based on implicit requirements with respect to the quality and dimensions of the composing building materials and components. These requirements are based on long term experience. This approach has disadvantages. It is difficult to apply the approach to new or modified materials and applications. Furthermore the durability is not formulated in terms of performance requirements, being the basis of most of the modern building codes. The paper will give a framework for a procedure for the design for durability. This procedure is in principle a modification of the probabilistic approach for the structural limit state design. This implies that the performances are given as limit state functions and expressed in terms of reliability.