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Limit Sta

This document discusses statistical concepts related to structural safety and load ratings. It defines characteristic resistance as the value below which not more than 5% of material test results may fall. Characteristic load is defined as the load that will not be exceeded 95% of the time over the structure's lifespan. Standardization of structural designs is unlikely, but design rules based on past successful experience can be useful for comparing alternative designs while minimizing risk from less safe, cheaper options. Governments aim to ensure safety through regulations, and designers seek economy within safe design ranges.

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Logeswaran Raji
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41 views

Limit Sta

This document discusses statistical concepts related to structural safety and load ratings. It defines characteristic resistance as the value below which not more than 5% of material test results may fall. Characteristic load is defined as the load that will not be exceeded 95% of the time over the structure's lifespan. Standardization of structural designs is unlikely, but design rules based on past successful experience can be useful for comparing alternative designs while minimizing risk from less safe, cheaper options. Governments aim to ensure safety through regulations, and designers seek economy within safe design ranges.

Uploaded by

Logeswaran Raji
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Frequency

Variation of maximum life time load effects (B.M.)

Curve (a)
Curve (b)

Variation of resistance (R.M.)


between nominally identical
materials

Risk of
failure

Load used in
calculation

Strength (or
resistance) used
in calculations

Load effects divided by


Resistance moment

Fig. 1 Statistical Meaning of Safety

Characteristic resistance of a material (such as Concrete or Steel) is defined as that


value of resistance below which not more than a prescribed percentage of test results
may be expected to fall. (For example the characteristic yield stress of steel is usually
defined as that value of yield stress below which not more than 5% of the test values may
be expected to fall). In other words, this strength is expected to be exceeded by 95% of
the cases.
Similarly, the characteristic load is that value of the load, which has an accepted
probability of not being exceeded during the life span of the structure. Characteristic
load is therefore that load which will not be exceeded 95% of the time.
2.0

STANDARDISATION

Most structural designs are based on experience. Standardisation of all designs is


unlikely within the foreseeable future hence design rules, based on experience, become
useful. If a similar design has been built successfully elsewhere, there is no reasons why
a designer may not consider it prudent to follow aspects of design that have proved
successful, and adopt standardised design rules. As the consequences of bad design can
be catastrophic, the society expects designers to explain their design decisions. It is
therefore advantageous to use methods of design that have proved safe in the past.
Standardised design methods can help in comparing alternative designs while minimising
the risk of the cheapest design being less safe than the others.
Most Governments attempt to ensure structural safety through regulations and laws.
Designers then attempt to achieve maximum economy within the range of designs that

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