Expanded papers from an international workshop on performance-based design—concepts and implementation

Abstract

An international workshop on performance-based design was held in Bled, Slovenia, on June 28–July 1, 2004. This workshop provided a valuable forum for the exchange of research results and design practice ideas on issues important for seismic risk reduction and the development of performance-based earthquake engineering concepts. The theme of the workshop was to assess the state of knowledge and practice related to performance-based design and to identify challenges that need to be addressed so that progress in research and implementation in engineering practice can be accelerated and a common foundation can be established on which to base the various approaches advocated in different countries. At the workshop, 45 invited participants and 12 observers from 14 countries addressed the following topics in four working groups: loss estimation, fragility and vulnerability, and impact on risk management; implementation in engineering practice; performance-based design concepts; and integration of experimental and analytical simulations. The workshop has led to a greater understanding of many of the issues involved in performance-based design, and much progress has been made in the development of concepts and procedures suitable for implementation in engineering practice. Nevertheless, many issues remain unresolved and additional research and studies are needed to implement rigorous performance-based design with confidence. Performance-based design concepts provide a suitable framework for future seismic code development. Common interests exist among researchers and practitioners of the countries represented at the workshop. Progress in research and implementation in engineering practice can be accelerated by the international dialog on new ideas and concepts. Cooperative research on issues of common interest should be encouraged. The participants recognize that performance-based design has many facets and may take on very different meaning and approaches depending on prevailing economic and societal priorities. Nevertheless, by continuing the international dialog, a common foundation can be established on which to base the various approaches advocated in different countries. An urgent need exists for worldwide sharing of data obtained from experimental and analytical studies and from field measurements taken during earthquakes. A protocol for international data sharing should be developed and efforts should be initiated for the creation of a worldwide data repository. In order to accelerate the transfer of knowledge from researchers to engineering practice, a need exists for incorporating performance-based design concepts and reliability theory into educational curricula. Recognizing the benefits of the exchange of ideas that occurred at the workshop, international gatherings should be held on a periodic basis to share information on the development of performance-based design. To further increase the impact of the work discussed in Bled, the workshop participants were encouraged to submit expanded versions of their papers to the Journal, provided they report on previously unpublished material appropriate for a journal publication. Submitted manuscripts have undergone the regular review process, which was handled by Anil K. Chopra. Seven papers, printed in this issue, have been accepted for publication. The full workshop proceedings, which contain 43 papers as well as the workshop resolutions, conclusions and recommendations, can be obtained from the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, 1301 South 46th Street, Richmond, CA 94804, U.S.A. (info@nisee.berkeley.edu).