Preface

This book has its origin in lecture notes developed over several years for use in a course in Systems Reliability for engineers concerned with the design of physical systems such as civil structures, power plants, and transport vehicles of all types. Increasing public concern with the reliability of systems for reasons of human safety, environmental protection, and acceptable investment risk limitations has resulted in an increasing interest by engineers in the formal application of reliability theory to engineering design. At the same time there is a demand for more effective approaches to the design of procedures for the operation and use of man-made systems and more meaningful assessment of the risks introduction and use of such a system poses both when operating as designed and when operating at below design performance.