| Damage Assessment and Reconstruction After War or Natural Disaster 2009 Edition Contributor(s): Ibrahimbegovic, Adnan (Editor), Zlatar, Muhamed (Editor) |
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ISBN: 9048123852 ISBN-13: 9789048123858 Publisher: Springer OUR PRICE: $284.99 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 2009 Annotation: This book aims to provide a critical assessment of the current knowledge and to indicate new challenges that are brought by the present time in dealing with frequent man-made and natural disasters, resulting in damage to structures, infrastructure and human environment. The common ground for all problems of this kind from the viewpoint of scientific contents is the need to provide a quick assessment of the destructive action and its consequences, quick reconstruction, as well as the new basis for a sustainable development of affected areas. The present threat of the terrorist attacks or accidental explosions, the local military conflicts, the climate change that brings soil erosion or yet the destructive earthquake motion that occurs in previously inactive regions, are several examples of the kind of disastrous situations we address herein, along with the best way of reducing their negative impact.
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| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Technology & Engineering | Civil - General - Technology & Engineering | Construction - Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning - Nature | Environmental Conservation & Protection - General |
| Dewey: 624.171 |
| Series: NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security (Hardcover) |
| Physical Information: 0.94" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.63 lbs) 394 pages |
| Themes: - Topical - Ecology |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: 1.1. SAFETY OF CIVIL STRUCTURES Society expects that the failure of civil structures is extremely rare and relies on the care and expertise of the professionals involved in the design, construction and maintenance of structures. This is in particular true for public technical systems such as transportation or energy supply systems and structures such as bridges. Structural safety may be defined as follows: "Adequate safety with respect to a hazard is ensured provided that the hazard is kept under control by appropriate measures or the risk is limited to an acceptable value. Absolute safety is not achievable." It is thus not the structure as such that is designated safe but rather the people, goods and the environment in its surroundings. The continued use of existing structures is of great importance because the built environment is a huge economic and political asset, growing larger every year. Nowadays evaluation of the safety of existing structures is a major engineering task, and structural engineers are increasingly called upon to devise ways for extending the life of structures whilst observing tight cost constraints. Also, existing structures are expected to resist against accidental actions although they were not designed for. Engineers may apply specific methods for evaluation in order to preserve structures and to reduce a client's expenditure. The ultimate goal is to limit construction intervention to a minimum, a goal that is clearly in agreement with the principles of sustainable development. |