Marian Gwóźdź

The design of aluminum structures, according to the modern generation of European standards, sets new requirements regarding the reliability management of such facilities before the authors of architectural and structural designs. Reliability problems should be formulated at an early stage of the investment process ‒ the construction design, in a clear manner, requiring the authors of detailed designs and contracting companies to provide structures exhibiting the operating parameters in agreement with the expectations of the investor. The basics of substantive and formal requirements in this respect are set out in Eurocode PN EN 1990 and the European standards dealing with the manufacturing and erection of structures. Problems of modern reliability management for aluminum structures are referred to the case of large volume buildings subject to climate actions.

The design of timber structures according to the current generation of Eurocodes results in new requirements being set for the authors of architectural and building designs with respect to the reliability management of such structures. The reliability problems should be formulated in the building permit design in an unequivocal manner, obliging the authors of the detailed design, as well as the contractors to deliver structures, which have all the operational parameters fully conforming to the expectations of the investor. Substantive and formal basics in this regard are formulated in the Eurocodes: PN-EN 1990, PN-EN 1991, PN-EN 1995 as well as in the related European codes. The reliability management problems of contemporary timber structures are related to the cubature buildings of different life spans, including buildings subjected to the climate loads characterised by several hundred year-long return periods.