ABSTRACT
The Joint Committee on Structural Safety (JCSS) has developed a guideline document (JCSS 2008) that describes the framework and principles for risk based engineering decision making. An event tree representation for this framework is shown in Figure 1. The assessment begins with the modelling of exposures (EX) that have the potential to cause damage to the components of the considered structural system. Exposures could include extreme values of design loads, accidental loads and deterioration processes and also human errors in the design, execution and use of the structure. Damage refers to reduced performance or failure of individual components of the structural system. After the exposure event occurs, the components of the structural system either remain in an undamaged state ( ) as before or change to a damage state. Each damage state can then either lead to the failure of the structure (F) or no failure ( ).
