Performance-based Engineering for Multiple Hazards:Role of Risk Assessment

摘要

Buildings, bridges and transportation structures, industrial facilities and other civil infrastructure facilities are designed primarily with public safety in mind. The design provisions found in codes and standards are prescriptive in nature, and while such facilities usually possess adequate levels of safety, extreme environmental or man-made events may cause them to suffer severe damage and economic losses. Structural engineers now are seeking improvements to building and construction practices to achieve levels of performance beyond what currently is provided by prescriptive code provisions. Performance-based engineering offers a new paradigm that enables structural engineers to better achieve more reliable prediction and control of civil infrastructure performance across a range of hazards. Modern probabilistic risk assessment methods support advances in performance-based engineering by providing a framework for managing the impact of uncertainties on performance and for guiding engineering decisions in an era of heightened public expectations and financial constraints.