In order to clarify this aim the following definitions are useful.
Often a specimen will consist of a test structure, or a model of a structure which will be put into operation in a real project. In the context of this research, the specimens are designed so that the fundamental properties of the material, rather than any individual structure, may be assessed.
The purpose of the research, therefore, is to develop models which yield a prediction for how long a specimen will last, together with an estimate of the uncertainty attached to this prediction. In particular, an estimate for R(t) will serve this purpose.