Conservative test-to-predicted ratios were generally shown, but unsafe predictions were obtained for some cases.
Finally, the experimental data were contrasted to the predictions given by Eurocode 4 for the design of composite columns resulting, in general, in slightly unsafe predictions.
At ambient temperature, it is shown that all of the buckling curves currently included in Eurocode 3 Part 1-1 give unsatisfactory and potentially unsafe predictions.
STM gives good predictions of shear resistance if strut strengths are calculated in accordance with the recommendations of the modified compression field theory (MCFT) but some unsafe predictions are obtained when using EC2 strut strengths.
Although this method gives more accurate results comparing to effective with method employed in Eurocode 3, the slight unsafe predictions were found for slender channels in the intermediate cross-section slenderness.
Moreover, the comparison between the design strengths calculated by Eurocode 4 from one side and the FE and experimental ultimate strengths from the other side shows generally that Eurocode 4 gives unsafe predictions.
The existing shear design methods for FRP reinforced concrete beams give either conservative or unsafe predictions for many specimens in the database and their accuracy are mostly dependent on the effective depth and type of FRP reinforcement.
Then, the paper examines the ultimate strength data of experimental columns, both reported in this paper and collected from the literature, and concludes that the current direct strength method (DSM) provides very unsafe predictions concerning such a detrimental interaction nature.
For built-up columns was found that increasing the number of profiles may lead to unsafe design predictions.
This implies that reliability must be determined across chemical space in the attempt to localize "safe" and "unsafe" regions for prediction.
