Some movements toward establishing comprehensive structural design codes based on performance-based specification concept in Japan

Abstract

There have been movements in Japan to develop a serious of comprehensive structural design codes which can harmonize all the major Japanese structural design codes. This movement is much motivated by the rapid development and popularisation of international and regional structural design codes such as ISO2394 and Structural Eurocodes, as well as of the performance based design concept especially after the conclusion of WTO/TBT agreement in 1995. In proposing such efforts, it is much contemplated to propose a concept that can harmonize all the major Japanese structural design codes that have been developed rather separated way due to many historical reasons. The performance based design (PBD) (or the performance based specification (PBS)) and the limit state design (LSD) are the two concepts we introduced to achieve this aim. One of the final aims of this activity is to propose a new framework of structural design codes for harmonizing structural codes in regional and international levels. Two of such efforts, namely development of 'Principles for Foundation Designs Grounded on a Performance-based Design Concept' (nick name 'Geo-code 21') by JGS (Japanese Geotechnical Society) and 'code PLATFORM ver.1' by JSCE (Japan Society of Civil Engineers) are presented in this paper.