Keywords: premeditated destructive events, terrorist attack, bombings,.

In this paper fuzzy fault tree analysis is used to model and assess the performance of constructed facilities subject to Premeditated Destructive Events (PDEs). It becomes the responsibility of the construction engineers to implement an architectural design by planning and managing the details of construction. Construction engineering is an imprecise and complex operation that is not completely predictable. Hence, performance assessment is crucial to assure the design and construction process to produce building resistant PDEs. This paper describes a study of building failures triggered by a PDE and develops a generalized approach to evaluating the performance of the building's components.

The authors consider a typical design and supporting structure component of a ten-story reinforced concrete frame structure and developed a fault tree analysis model. The simulation method used will facilitate the work of the engineers and assessors in evaluating the performance of a building by considering the design and construction process. The same method could also be used for during-construction and post-construction analyses to predict the stability of the constructed facility.

The authors further developed the fault tree analysis model into fuzzy fault tree system. This system has the structure of a fault tree model and it evaluates each basic event that contributes to the predetermined top events based on Baldwin's model and linguistic values. The system facilitates assessors to understand the performance of the structure with respect to PDEs.

To demonstrate the power of this method, the authors applied the generalized method to the failure of reinforced concrete slabs triggered by PDEs. By demonstrating the applicability of the program to the failure of reinforced concrete slabs, the groundwork is completed for applying it to other building components with simple modifications.

Fuzzy fault tree program can be used as a useful tool for determining building performance before, during and after construction. The program provides careful assessment of performance with respect to PDEs, permitting corrective action to be taken at any point in the design-build process to enhance the protection of the building's occupants from PDEs.

The model introduced and the computer program developed are expected to facilitate the work of the assessors, particularly the site engineers, supervisors, owners, and other pertinent parties involved in assessing the performance of a particular section of a structure or the entire building with respect to the potential occurrence of a PDE. Using the program, assessors do not have to understand the theory of the fuzzy set concept or the fuzzy mathematical operations in order to correctly evaluate the performance of a structure, but can base their evaluation on common sense and experience.

purchase the full-text of this paper (price £20)

go to the previous paper
go to the next paper
return to the table of contents
return to the book description
purchase this book (price £82 +P&P)