Serviceability limit state target reliability for concrete structures

The balance between safety and economy, referred to as target reliability, forms the basis of modern structural design. Target reliability is determined by economic minimisation, either directly through generic cost optimisation or by back calibration to existing practice. However, the currently codified annual target reliability indices for serviceability limit state (SLS), differ by as much as Δβ = 1.6 between those from generic cost optimisation and back calibration. Various assumptions are made in the generic cost optimisation which may not be appropriate to determine SLS target reliability. Target reliability from back calibration is likely to be closer to actual SLS failure rates, however, no literature exists which details the process or rationale by which the back calibration was performed. It is therefore uncertain if either of these methods produce cost optimal SLS target reliability. This research aims to evaluate currently codified SLS target reliability for cost optimality. SLS failure costs from existing research and engineering practice are used with an amended cost optimisation procedure which overcomes the deficiencies identified in the generic formulation to specifically determine SLS target reliability. The amended cost optimisation also considers parameter variation and decision parameter form for typical SLS cases. Results indicate that overall, the target reliability indices for annual irreversible SLS from back calibration to existing practice (β = 2.9) represents the range of considered SLS cases (2.5 ≤ β ≤ 3.3) well, whereas those from generic cost optimisation are notably lower (1.3 ≤ β ≤ 2.3). In some cases, target reliability varied sufficiently from 2.9 to warrant adjustments being made for better cost optimality.