Title: Lessons From European Failures

Author(s): Roger Hauser

Publication: Concrete International

Volume: 1

Issue: 12

Appears on pages(s): 21-25

Keywords: concrete construction; failure; inspection; quality control; standards; structural analysis; struc-tural design.

DOI:

Date: 12/1/1979

Abstract:
This review of an investigation on about 800 European failures focuses the efforts of code writing bodies to the most efficient way to maintain a given level of structural safety. It was found that few structures fail in use. The structure, itself, initiates most failures (the majority are sudden failures) due to unfavorable influences of the natural environment and incorrectly introduced factors either in the planning or the construction phase. Errors in the planning plase occur mainly in conceptual work or during structural analysis. The engineer and the contractor are in-volved, each committing their errors due to insufficient knowledge or ignorance. Only very few errors are unavoidable, and in a majority of cases a little additionalchecking helps considerably. Hence a primary deficiency in structural safety is data check-ing.