TY - CHAP A1 - Diamantidis, Dimitris A1 - Sýkora, Miroslav A1 - Bertacca, Elena T1 - Obsolescence Rate: Framework, Analysis and Influence on Risk Acceptance Criteria T2 - 6th International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE), Ghent, Belgium N2 - Buildings are major long lasting assets of the society and business enterprises and form a significant part of infrastructure management. They require continual maintenance and in many cases they can become inap-propriate for their original purpose due to obsolescence and are demolished. The present contribution ex-plores the obsolescence of buildings and in particular the definitions of obsolescence, the related influenc-ing factors and the associated uncertainties. Thereby definitions of the obsolescence rate based on the physi-cal and useful (service) life are clarified. The experienced useful life of buildings in Finland, Germany and North America is statistically analysed, utilizing available databases, and comparisons with the design (minimum) working life specified in standards are made. The probability of not exceeding the required min-imum service life is evaluated and discussed. Whereas many factors affecting the obsolescence rate are be-yond the control of civil engineers, particular attention needs to be paid to cases where the service life of the structure is determined by physical aspects related to deterioration. These cases are identified and recom-mendations to improve structural design are offered. The service life and the related renewal rate is influ-encing the risk acceptance criteria as given in ISO 2394. Such criteria are derived on the basis of economic optimization and the LQI marginal safety costs principle. A statistical model for the renewal rate is obtained and its influence on the target reliability is investigated for a representative failure limit state. The influence of the obsolescence rate is quantified and critically disputed. Y1 - 2018 UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328578867_Obsolescence_Rate_Framework_Analysis_and_Influence_on_Risk_Acceptance_Criteria ER -