Establishment of design basis in the initial phase of critical infrastructure projects

For critical infrastructure, as for most other civil engineering and marine projects, the design basis of the project must be accurately determined in the early phases to ensure that the project is conducted safely and efficiently. The appropriate design basis developed in the early project phases will thus ensure that the infrastructure is constructed in a safe and efficient manner and that it will be operational over its intended lifetime and possibly beyond. The design basis summarises the requirements concerning the physical environment and the operating conditions. It also states all relevant accidental conditions which the designer must take into account as well as stating the selection of an appropriate safety level. It should also be noted that the design basis document, although being developed in the project's early phases, must be kept updated with any new information that will be collected through the later project phases. In certain situations it may be necessary to redesign the infrastructure as it is always cheaper and easier to redesign rather than to tear down and rebuild. The objective of the paper is, therefore, to present a review and a check list for infrastructure projects so that no important aspect of the design basis is omitted.