ABSTRACT
Structural design consists of proportioning elements of a system to satisfy various criteria of perfor-
mance, safety, serviceability, and durability under various demands. The presence of uncertainty cannot
be avoided in every phase of structural engineering analysis and design, but it is not simple to satisfy
design requirements in the presence of uncertainty. After three decades of extensive work in different
engineering disciplines, several reliability evaluation procedures of various degrees of complexity are now
available. First-generation structural design guidelines and codes are being developed and promoted
worldwide using some of these procedures.
