5. Conclusion

Some risks have been mentioned in this article, to give an idea of the notion of robustness in certain cases. Unfortunately, it is not possible to have an overall view, and certain types of aggression are not mentioned: chemical, biological, etc. aggression that can affect structures. In the field of civil engineering, the most brutal stresses are of natural or human origin. Eurocode formulas are replaced by highly skilled people using sophisticated software, as at the ISPRA JRC in Italy.

Finally, it should be remembered that robustness is "reassuring" for the users of civil engineering structures, but cannot neutralize the fear of risk, the level of which is poorly assessed due to the wide variety of natural and man-made phenomena. Of course, there are earthquakes, tsunamis and tornadoes, but there are also wars, terrorist attacks and epidemics. Since ancient times,...