Introduction
Extreme loading conditions are also known as ‘accidental loads’ as they occur during conditions usually attributed to events that are fundamentally unlikely to occur. They are referred to as ‘accidental design situations’ and as such, the rules governing the application of loads/actions that arise from such rare events are very diff erent to those that exist for more everyday occurences. This note will pay particular attention to partial factors with reference to BS EN 1990: Eurocode –
Basis of structural design, to illustrate how extreme events are approached within a code of practice, and will explain how the code interprets the application of loads/actions for the design of structures for such events.