Introduction to the European research projects in support of Eurocode 8

摘要

During the next few years, EC8 will be confronted with the concerns and modificationproposals resulting from its practical application, which must be faced and analysed on a soundscientific basis. Specifically, accurate evaluation of the reliability implied in the code in a generalcontext, which takes into account several performance levels related to serviceability, damage-controland ultimate limit states, is required. Furthermore, the life-cycle cost analysis introduced in thispaper is well in line with the current research topics proclaimed for performance based seismic engineering,where the social and economic consequences of earthquakes are explicitly taken into account.Several European institutions have been involved in research projects in support of EC8. In particular,the PREC8 and the ICONS networks include in their research programme several topicsneeding further development for a convenient definition in the design code. The issues of the irregularbuildings and bridges, ductility classes and corresponding design factors, design of framestructures with infill panels were investigated through numerical and experimental studies. Otheraspects needing further clarification and emerging alternative design methods are now under investigation.The papers included in the Special Session, Research in Support of Code Development, reporton recent research results relevant to Eurocode 8.