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Why do building codes use safety factors for construction materials?
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Apartment buildings under construction in Cambridge, England.
Building codes utilize safety factors to ensure the structural integrity and reliability of a building. A factor of safety is defined as the ratio of a material's ultimate strength to the maximum permissible stress it is expected to endure during use.12
By incorporating these margins, engineers account for uncertainties in material quality, construction execution, and unforeseen environmental loads. This systematic approach is fundamental to the purpose of building codes, which exist to govern the design and construction process to protect the safety, health, and quality of life of all occupants and neighbors. Prioritizing these safety standards is an ethical imperative, as it prevents structural failure and safeguards human life.3