ISO 10252-2020 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 10252:2020 — Bases for design of structures — Accidental actions. This International Standard provides principles and guidance for reliability-based and risk-informed decision making for the design and assessment of structures subject to accidental actions (excluding fires and human‑made earthquakes). It is intended for use by standards committees, code writers and practitioners working on buildings and civil engineering works.

Abstract

Accidental actions are addressed with an emphasis on actions due to human activities; the document explains how risk and reliability principles can inform choices in design and assessment throughout a structure’s service life. It complements general reliability principles (see ISO 2394) and may require additional application-specific elaboration.

General information

• Status: Published (active).
• Publication date: 2020 (published February/March 2020).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 91.080.01 (Structures of buildings in general).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2020).
• Number of pages: 108 pages.

Details above (status, date, edition, pages and ICS) are recorded on the ISO catalogue entry for ISO 10252:2020.

Scope

ISO 10252:2020 applies to the design and assessment of buildings and civil engineering works subjected to accidental actions due to human activities (for example impacts, internal explosions, hazardous releases and other unintended events). The standard sets out how reliability-based and risk‑informed approaches can be used to support decision making; it does not cover fires or human‑made earthquakes and may require national or project‑specific additions for particular applications.

Key topics and requirements

• Classification and description of accidental actions (focus on those due to human activities).
• Risk‑informed and reliability‑based decision framework for design and assessment.
• Guidance on applying probabilistic principles to accidental loading and consequences.
• Recommendations for integration with general reliability principles (reference to ISO 2394).
• Directions for standards committees and code writers on adopting the principles in national/regional codes.
• Limitations and exclusions (notably fires and human‑made earthquakes) and the need for complementary material for special cases.

The list above summarises the principal topics and requirements introduced by ISO 10252:2020.

Typical use and users

Typical users include structural and civil engineers, risk and reliability analysts, national standards committees, code authors, forensic engineers, building authorities, consulting firms and academic researchers. The standard is used when establishing or updating design rules for accidental actions, performing risk‑based assessments of existing structures, or preparing national/regional annexes to international codes.

Related standards

ISO 10252:2020 is intended to be used alongside ISO 2394 (General principles on reliability for structures), which provides broader reliability and risk‑based principles for structural design and assessment. For regionally applied rules on accidental actions, designers often consult relevant parts of Eurocode (for example EN 1991‑1‑7 on accidental actions) and applicable national guidance.

Keywords

accidental actions, accidental loading, risk‑informed design, reliability, structural design, ISO 10252, accidental events, structural assessment, ISO 2394, impact, internal explosion.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 10252:2020 is an International Standard titled "Bases for design of structures — Accidental actions" that gives principles for using reliability and risk‑informed approaches when designing and assessing structures subject to accidental actions.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers accidental actions due to human activities (e.g., impacts, internal explosions and other unintended events), how to apply risk and reliability principles to these actions in design and assessment, and guidance for standards committees and code developers. It explicitly excludes fires and human‑made earthquakes.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Structural and civil engineers, risk/reliability practitioners, standards committees, building authorities, consultants and researchers involved in structural safety, design rules and assessment of accidental events.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 10252:2020 is the first edition published in 2020 and is listed as Published in the ISO catalogue. ISO standards are typically reviewed every five years; users should check the ISO catalogue or their national standards body for any review or amendment status updates.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is not a numbered part of a continuous multi‑part series, but it is conceptually linked to other ISO standards on structural reliability and design (notably ISO 2394). It was prepared by ISO/TC 98/SC 3 (structures).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Accidental actions; risk‑informed design; reliability; structural assessment; impact; internal explosion; ISO 2394; structural safety.