Achieving structural robustness

Abstract

Robustness analyses aims at preventing a structural system from failing after the occurrence of damage, exceptional/unexpected events, or operational malfunctions. This paper reviews the key aspects of robustness in structures, and associated concepts such as redundancy and resilience. Several impact scenarios are discussed and approaches for assessing and quantifying robustness summarized. The paper also includes a section on robustness in seismic engineering. Lastly, it provides a general overview of conceptual robustness assessment and quantification across micro, meso, and macro levels.