Since 2005, I have been advocating through the Building Codes Committee, and previously through Standards Australia committees, for quantification of structural requirements.
In May 2026, the NCC 2025 QUANTIFIED Structural Performance Requirements will be adopted. This is a very important and long-overdue improvement to the building code, because it levels the playing field for all performance solutions and Deemed-to-Satisfy solutions (such as Austtalian Standards).
Because of the wide variation in structural reliability in the current DTS solutions, the proposed quantitative requirements represent a simple consensus position, and there is a case for ongoing monitoring and gradual refinement of the requirements.
But, for the time being, we (structural engineers) should embrace the new approach and encourage consistency amongst the writers of DTS provisions and (Australian) Standards.
We cannot guarantee absolute structural adequacy, but we can now aim for consistency in probability of failure.
