Influence of Human Error on Structural Reliability

摘要

numbers defined in design codes. This is also referred to as deterministic design. Addressing the randomrncharacter of these variables directly, the probabilistic design procedure allows the determination of thernprobability of exceeding a defined limit state. This probability is referred to as failure probability. From there,rnthe structural reliability, representing the survival probability, can be determined. Structural reliability thusrnis a property of a structure or structural member, depending on the relevant limit states, failure modes andrnbasic variables. This is the basis for the determination of partial safety factors which are, for sake of a simplerrndesign, applied within deterministic design procedures. In addition to the basic variables in terms of materialrnand loads, further basic variables representing the structural model have to be considered. These dependrnstrongly on the experience of the design engineer and the level of detailing of the model.rnHowever, in the clear majority of cases [1] failure does not occur due to unexpectedly high or low values ofrnloads or material strength. The most common reasons for failure are human errors in design and execution.rnThis paper will provide practical examples of original designs affected by human error and will assess thernimpact on structural reliability.