- Title
- Reliability theory and estimating the likely safety of constructed facilities
- Creator
- Melchers, R. E.
- Relation
- 20th Australasian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, 2008. Proceedings of the 20th Australasian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials 2008 (Toowoomba, Qld 2-5 December, 2008) p. 539-544
- Relation
- http://www.usq.edu.au/ceefc/acmsm20
- Publisher
- CRC Press
- Resource Type
- conference paper
- Date
- 2009
- Description
- This paper considers the estimation of the likely safety of constructed facilities, particularly larger, more complex structures, over longer periods of time. It reviews, briefly, structural reliability theory and its present application in practice for the development of design codes. Codified rules for the safe and serviceable design of structures have advanced much from the concept of a 'Factor of Safety', in part through application of structural reliability theory. However, there is still not sufficient recognition that this theory and the design rules that may result from it are only a part of the bigger issue of the achievement of safe structures and their continued safety with time. It is proposed that in future structural engineering safety and reliability measures increasingly must be seen to be part of the wider perspective of societal risk and safety assessment and acceptance, and in particularly must align with thinking and techniques in use for potentially hazardous industries. It then becomes possible to consider the extent to which traditional structural engineering approaches to safety are compatible with these wider, more comprehensive procedures. Dealing with structural safety in this more comprehensive framework will ensure that structural engineers cannot be accused of 'sliding out of the acceptable risk debate'.
- Subject
- structural reliability theory; structural engineering safety; design codes; constructed facilities
- Identifier
- uon:8934
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/919643
- Identifier
- ISBN:9780415491969
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