scope:

This International Standard constitutes a risk and reliability informed foundation for decision making concerning design and assessment of structures both for the purpose of code making and in the context of specific projects. The principles presented in this Standard cover the majority of buildings, infrastructure and civil engineering works, whatever the nature of their application and use or combination of the materials used1. The application of this Standard will require specific adaptation and detailing in special cases where there are potentially extreme consequences of failure2. This International Standard is intended to serve as a basis for those committees responsible for the task of preparing international standards, national standards or codes of practice in accordance with given objectives and context in a particular country. The present Standard describes how the principles of risk and reliability may be utilized to support decisions related to the design and assessment of structures and systems involving structures over their service life. Three different but related levels of approach are facilitated, namely a risk informed, a reliability based and a semi-probabilistic approach. The general principles are applicable to the design of complete structures (buildings, bridges, industrial structures, etc.), the structural elements and joints making up the structures and the foundations. The principles of this International Standard are also applicable to the successive stages in construction, the handling of structural elements, their erection and all work on site, as well as the use of structures during their design working life, including maintenance and rehabilitation, and decommissioning. Risk and reliability are concepts accounting for and describing actions, structural response, durability, life-cycle performance, consequences, design rules, workmanship, quality control procedures and national requirements, all of which are mutually dependent. The application of this Standard necessitates knowledge beyond what is contained in the Clauses and the Annexes. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that this knowledge is available and applied.