Discipline: Engineering, Architecture
The purpose of determining the reliability index of an existing structure is to evaluate whether a structure is still safe for public occupancy. This is usually done as part of survey prior to the purchase of a building. The procedure includes the determination whether a structure is suitable for a change in usage, and determination of the cause and appropriate remedy of problems that elicit tenant complaints, like leaks or excessive floor vibrations, which are maintenance issues.
Considered in this study was the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) Building 5. The study focused on the development of the reliability index for the one major structural member, the beam, which formed part of the frame of the building. The reliability of the frame is consistent with the reliability of its beam and column components, which are appropriate as the subject for structural integrity evaluation because they hold the loading and keep the structure in place.