by Brianna Crandall — October 15, 2010—Buildings, bridges and other structures may withstand natural disasters, accidental damage, modifications and extensions, or deterioration such as corrosion during their extensive lifespan. To ensure they remain reliable as time passes, ISO has published a standard for assessing the safety and serviceability of existing structures, including the world’s cultural and historic treasures.
The standard, ISO 13822:2010, Bases for design of structures—Assessment of existing structures, was developed as a practical guide for structural engineers and their clients, offering knowledge beyond the scope of design codes. Now in its second edition, ISO 13822 features for the first time specific guidance on the assessment of the world’s heritage structures.
ISO 13822 gives engineers a much-needed handy tool to confidently assess safety and serviceability so that whenever possible, a structure can be preserved. Since ISO 13822 helps to avoid any unnecessary costs and to reduce the environmental consequences of construction works, the guide can contribute to sustainable development.
ISO 13822’s requirements and procedures are based on the principles of structural reliability and consequences of failure. The standard is applicable to any type of existing structure. ISO says it will be useful when:
- Anticipating change in use, or extension of design working life, of a structure
- Conducting reliability checks (e.g. for earthquakes, increased traffic actions) as required by authorities, insurance companies, owners, etc.
- Assessing structural deterioration due to time-dependent actions (e.g. corrosion, fatigue)
- Checking structural damage from accidental actions (e.g. fires)
- Conducting reliability checks (e.g. for earthquakes, increased traffic actions) as required by authorities, insurance companies, owners, etc.
