Reliability level of the second generation of the Eurocodes -- status and potential

Abstract

The EN Eurocodes are a collection of 10 European Standards, EN 1990 - EN 1999 , providing a common basis for the design of load bearing structures.

The next generation of the Eurocodes, the second generation, will be published by 2026 and the corresponding revision process is about to be concluded. The Eurocodes prescribe a semi-probabilistic partial factor safety concept with the intention that design solutions that follow this concept comply with the prescribed reliability criterion. In the present contribution this intended compliance is assessed in particular for the 3 alternative specifications of the safety concept that has to be selected by the Eurocode member states. In order to do so, a representative domain of design equations is formulated that captures load bearing structures with 9 different combinations of structural failure modes and materials, as well as a wide range of permanent and time-variable loads. The necessary probabilistic representation is adapted from the recently issued Reliability Background of the Eurocodes. An example calibration of the partial load factors is performed and results and corresponding implications are discussed. An outlook on future required research is given.