STRUCTURAL RELIABILITY IN EUROCODES
Pages 117 - 124
The structural reliability recommended in Eurocodes and other international documents vary
within a broad range, while the reference to the failure consequences and design working life is
mentioned only very vaguely. In some cases the target reliability indexes are indicated for one or
two reference periods (in Eurocodes for 1 year and 50 years), however no explicit link to the design
working life is usually provided. This article attempts to clarify the relationship between the target
reliability levels, failure consequences, the design working life and the discount rate. The theoretical
study based on probabilistic optimization is supplemented by recommendations useful for code
makers and required by practicing engineers. It appears that the optimum reliability indices depend
primarily on the ratio of the cost of structural failure to the cost per unit of structural parameter, and
less significantly on the design working life and on the discount rate.
DOI: 10.22227/1997-0935.2012.11.117 - 124
- EN 1990 (2002), “Eurocode — Basis of structural design”, CEN/TC 250, 2002.
- ISO 2394 (1998), “General principles on reliability for structures”, ISO, 1998.
- JCSS (2001) “Probabilistic Model Code”, http://www.jcss.ethz.ch/.
- Diamantidis D. (2009), “Reliability differentiation”, In.: Holicky et al.: Guidebook 1, Load effects on Buildings, CTU in Prague 2009.
- Holicky M, Schneider J. (2002), “Structural Design and Reliability Benchmark Study”, In.: Safety, Risk and Reliability — Trends in Engineering. IABSE International Conference, Malta.