DISCUSSION ON RESEARCH ACTIVITY PUBLISHED AS "PROBABILISTIC LOAD MODELS BY ORDER STATISTICS OF LOAD INTENSITY : Load models for use in ultimate and serviceability limit states design [I]" (Jun SAKAMOTO and Yasuhiro MORI, J. Struct. Constr. Eng., AIJ, No.493, 9-15, Mar., 1997)

Abstract

Two classes of load models with different level of intensity were proposed in the paper for the limit state design. The writer raises a fundamental question on the meaning of dividing load intensity maxima into two classes. In particular the load model for the serviceability limit state of relatively higher occurrence rate consists of only lower class intensity load events. Then the reliability index based on the lower class model becomes a rather hypothetical value as the higher class intensity events are excluded. Such irrationality may suggest that two class model is inappropriate to be used in the limit state design.