Realität - Modell - Norm

Reality - Model - Code.

Construction involves a complex interaction with the physical world and with society. Buildings are expected to be usable for a very long period of time, often longer than the span of a human life. The requirements with regard to reliability and security in particular, are extraordinarily high - considerably greater than in other technical fields. Construction, particularly under the pressure of free market competition, requires rules and regulations for the assessment of the anticipated reliability and performance of a building. To a certain degree, models can be used to anticipate the interaction between a building and its environment by applying probabilistic methods. The robustness and sensitivity of models therefore increasingly gains importance. The definition of commonly accepted technical rules for the design of buildings has to be matched to the current conditions. Concepts for developing design codes must be futureproofed such that the codes are complimentary to the progress of new design methodologies, and also to the innovation and development of information technology. However, traditional empirical simplifying formulas, diagrams, etc., are still valid and do not require updating.