SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS: THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF RISK-ORIENTED STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

Sustainable development can be restricted by major accidents which occur in hazardous industries. Almost every major accident may have negative influence on each of the three constituents of the sustainable development: social, environmental and economic part. A characteristic feature of the most of major accidents is severe damage to the structural systems built inside and outside of the industrial facility in which the accident happens. To avoid such accidents or at least to reduce their consequences, structural systems should be designed Using a risk-based approach. On the level of detailed structural design, a formal measure of risk should be introduced and applied to express the effectiveness of the structural solution in terms of accident mitigation and minimization of potential consequences. The structural design should involve the consideration of possible accident scenarios and positive or negative contribution of; structures and structural failures to the escalation or de-escalation of the accident. This can be done by applying the risk-oriented structural design. A well-established methodological framework for such a design is provided by the quantitative risk assessment. A consequent application of a risk-based approach can be one of the risk management tools which will reduce the number of major accidents and thus their negative influence Oil sustainable development.