Road vehicle impacts on buildings in the UK - regulation and risk

This paper is concerned with road vehicle impacts on buildings in the UK. It considers the proposed guidance in the draft Structural Eurocodes and the requirements for the design of different categories of building. The European requirements triggered proposals for a new categorisation of buildings in the UK and these proposals are described. Neither the European nor the UK proposals provide detailed guidance for the design of the most important category of buildings.

For some design situations the codes require an assessment of the risks of accidental actions. The paper therefore considers the number and severity of vehicle impacts on buildings in the UK, using information derived from a media survey. This provides an indication of the type, or
location, of the buildings that are most at risk, and also an estimate of the risks involved.
The paper does not consider the detailed evaluation of loads or the calculation of structural response resulting from vehicle impacts.

B. R. Ellis, BSc, PhD, CEng, MIStructE
BRE Centre for Structural Engineering

P. J. Dillon, BEng(Hons), MSc
BRE Centre for Structural Engineering