Basic Concepts of Engineering Risk Management for Fastenings and Risk Register Based on Industry Survey

Abstract

Fastenings are becoming increasingly important in modern building practice. A wide range of products cover for the great flexibility that they provide in a large variety of applications. In order to ensure the safe and economical use of the fastenings, a combined effort of manufacturing firms, practicing engineers and constructors, research organizations, and public authorities has led to the establishment of interrelated design standards, application guidance, and product approvals. It is however evident that failures, in fact even small defects, of fastenings can lead to disproportionate catastrophic events. In addition to these state-of-the-art documents, which reflect the most precise knowledge possible, a management of possible residual risks and hence causes of failure is also indispensable. Due to the great range of fastening systems with different dimensioning and assembly guidelines, load-bearing behaviour and areas of application, and the overall complexity of the subject, a coherent risk management procedure against structural risks can be very helpful in this respect. This article deals with the technical and load-bearing related risks of fastening technology in construction. The objective of the paper is to introduce fundamental concepts and significant risks met in the fastenings design specification and installation. Moreover, it provides a rating of the identified risks and it transfers recommendations for risk mitigation, based on semi-structured interviews with expert professionals who are active in the field. The results are accumulated in a dedicated risk register as a standard tool of the risk management process in civil engineering, which is the first of its kind in current scientific literature. The aim is to assist future practice and research by providing a basis for risk management considerations for fastenings, which moreover reflects actual risks indicated in the outcome of an industry survey.