ABSTRACT
A code of practice is a state of the art expressed in simple and practical (though often somewhat arbitrary or empirical) terms for easy application by designers or control authorities. Such codes have mainly been developed during the last 30 or 40 years to provide authoritative guidance to designers and constructors and a basis of compliance for building specifications. Unfortunately, different commit tees have prepared, often without any common basis, different codes for the various structural materials and types of construction or for the loading. The consequent anomalies and discrepancies mean that different levels of safety and performance result from the use of different codes, and such a circumstance sometimes makes it impossible to compare the convenience of alternative designs, especially if different structural materials are used.
