Load Factor Design of Steel Buildings

Since the early 1950s there have been an increasing number of articles and books in the structural engineering literature on the application of probability and statistics in the design of structures. Since 1965 the rate of development on the subject has increased greatly. A sizeable group of experts and researchers are now working on various facets of the problem. One may be somewhat confused by all these activities, and not quite see where all this is leading. This is not at all surprising, since some of the research is only now reaching fruition and there is much activity which has not yet shaken down with respect to method or terminology. Enough work has been done, however, to justify a look at what is happening and to relate this to the present state of steel design as exemplified by the 1969 AISC Specification. This paper will attempt to give a brief review of the activities, explain some basic ideas, and examine the possibilities of these principles being applied to steel building design. The paper is not written for the experts in probability and statistics; rather, it is addressed to the structural engineer who wants to become familiar with developments on the subject.