risk of failure [4]. The by-product consequence is
also the target safety index for the reliability-based
design concept of such track components.
In addition to experimental investigations in this
project, conversion of the existing design standard
into new limit states design format required a
comparative examination of the safety margin and
probability of failure of PC sleepers designed in
accordance with both permissible stress and limit
states provisions [5]. To achieve uniform
performance and reliability in structural designs for
different design principles, the reliability-based
approach is the most suitable, in order to either
maintain consistent levels of desirable structural
reliabilities or overcome the differences of such
uncertainties [1, 5].