The purpose of developing,adopting and enforcing building codes is to manage risk and uncertainty,not guarantee against building failure.The codes are sophisticated guidelines based on accumulated knowledge about what does and does not work.While highly informed,they are still best guesses based on assumptions of certain general conditions,reached through a process that attempts to balance numerous,sometimes conflicting,needs and demands.Code requirements are contin-uously evolving as we learn more,deal with failure and innovation,and shift our focus based on new awareness of problems,opportunities and responsibilities,with the overall goal being to protect the public by establishing minimum safety requirements for the built environment.
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