A Philosophy on Loading Tests

The purpose and scope of structural loading tests is reviewed and contrasted against the specifications for loading tests contained in present building codes, which are summarized in a table. The great diversity of these specifications points to a lack of basic principle. Factors which should be considered in the formulation of loading test specifications are listed and discussed in detail, leading to a new approach based on the present state of knowledge, which gives proper weight to these factors for a given structure and a given set of conditions.Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye