SAFETY CONCEPTS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This paper defines the terms which nowadays are commonly used in the formal definition of structural safety. The use of reliability analysis to modify earlier structural codes is first described. The author then considers a) safety levels as operational tools, b) the significance of assessment failure, c) live load return periods and d) ductile versus brittle failure. The author concludes that monitoring alone may not prevent failure and that the safety targets implicit in design and assessment codes have proved to be satisfactory through long term use. For the covering abstract see IRRD 898092.