Title: Bonus and Penalty in Acceptance Criteria for Concrete

Author(s): Emilio Rosenblueth, Luis Esteva, and Julio Amey

Publication: Journal Proceedings

Volume: 71

Issue: 9

Appears on pages(s): 466-472

Keywords: acceptability; benefit-cost analysis; compressive strength; concrete construction; concrete cores; concretes; construction costs; costs; dynamic loads; earthquakes;

DOI: 10.14359/7119

Date: 9/1/1974

Abstract:
Criteria are laid down to decide on the price that should be paid per cubic yard of concrete, including bonuses or penalties, as a function of the strength supplied and of the specified strength, as well as when a concrete element should be strengthened or demolished and replaced. The criteria are such as to make the owner’s utility independent of the strength of the concrete supplied by the contractor. Initial cost and present value of the consequences of failure are taken into account. Three possibilities of structural failure are analyzed: on application of permanent loads, a Poisson process, and combinations of these two conditions. The first possibility idealizes behavior under gravity loads while the second corresponds to earthquake- and wind-like loading. A cursory analysis is included of the effects of differ-ences in strength between control cylinders and concrete cores.