SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH RATIONAL CODES USING RELIABILITY AND CODE CALIBRATION

The construction sector plays a pivotal role in
the economy of the nation. The Government and Private sector
invest large amounts of money annually in the construction
sector to the tune of say RM 90 Billion. The structural
component of building component constitutes a large
percentage of the total cost. Any changes in the design loads or resistances of the structures can translate into substantial savings for the Government and thereby to the public. Further, this can lead to reductions in consumption of precious resources like cement and steel and reduce the carbon footprint. Structural Design codes provide a simple, safe and economically efficient way of designing ordinary structures to different load conditions and make the daily work of designers easier. All modern structural design codes are based on
reliability analysis. Codes provide standardization and optimal
use of resources using calibration. Through calibration, the
load and resistance factors are determined. These are used to
design structures that have uniform and acceptable reliability.
Different areas in which this has been applied include steel,
concrete, wood structures like building, bridges and offshore
platforms. The procedures used, and results obtained are
presented and discussed. Conclusions are drawn from these
studies.