On the Potentials for Synergy Between COST Action TU1406 and the JCSS

On of the main challenges of COST Action TU1406 is to identify, categorize and to the extent possible represent performance indicators of roadway bridges in a manner supporting decision making for their service life integrity management. This calls for an information consistent approach accounting for the experience and statistical evidence collected from past performances as well as any relevant models relating to their future performances – with due consideration of associated uncertainties. The Joint Committee on Structural Safety (JCSS) is a pre-normative committee mandated by the in 1971 by the Liaison Committee to improve the general knowledge on structural safety. The main expertise of the JCSS is centered on the probabilistic modeling of structural performance characteristics of relevance for their safety and efficiency - and aligns well with many of the challenges of COST Action TU1406. The present paper thus first provides a short overview of the past and present activities of the JCSS. Thereafter a summary of the some of the key challenges of COST Action 1406 are outlined together with a proposal for their synthetization. Finally, ideas on how the COST Action TU1406 could contribute to the work of the JCSS are provided with focus on the probabilistic modeling of performance indicators for the built environment