ABSTRACT
To consider buildings and structures as objects which should last forever and therefore should be as good as possible is obviously as unsatisfactory as the request derived from the school of thought that we must always try to do better and apply any available knowledge. It leaves the designer with the undefined and uncomfortable situation of not knowing when it is enough, while aware that he is producing a chain of very unequal links without being able to assess which one will fail after which period of time.
