Are these standards being relaxed because they were initially set overly cautiously tight, or are they being routinely relaxed without appropriate engineering?
I think the problem is that no one really knows. No doubt the original standards were set with substantial safety factors. No doubt time and experience have given us a lot more data on what we can usually get away with.
But the keyword there is "usually". However unlikely a major accident has been, it is getting more likely. And we won't know just how much more likely until it actually happens.
I think the problem is that no one really knows. No doubt the original standards were set with substantial safety factors. No doubt time and experience have given us a lot more data on what we can usually get away with.
But the keyword there is "usually". However unlikely a major accident has been, it is getting more likely. And we won't know just how much more likely until it actually happens.