• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.175-189
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• 2012

This paper presents an algorithm for structural reliability with the response surface method. For this aim, an approach with three stages is proposed named as improved response surface method. In the algorithm, firstly, a quadratic approximate function is formed and design point is determined with First Order Reliability Method. Secondly, a point close to the exact limit state function is searched using the design point. Lastly, vector projected method is used to generate the sample points and Second Order Reliability Method is performed to obtain reliability index and probability of failure. Five numerical examples are selected to illustrate the proposed algorithm. The limit state functions of three examples (cantilever beam, highly nonlinear limit state function and dynamic response of an oscillator) are defined explicitly and the others (frame and truss structures) are defined implicitly. ANSYS finite element program is utilized to obtain the response of the structures which are needed in the reliability analysis of implicit limit state functions. The results (reliability index, probability of failure and limit state function evaluations) obtained from the improved response surface are compared with those of Monte Carlo Simulation, First Order Reliability Method, Second Order Reliability Method and Classical Response Surface Method. According to the results, proposed algorithm gives better results for both reliability index and limit state function evaluations.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.507-512
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• 2011

This study is concerned with the reliability analysis and its based design of midship section against the ultimate bending strength. Eight bulk carriers and seven oil tankers over 100m length are chosen for the present study. Target reliability indices for the two ship types have been derived based on the results reliability analysis of the present ship models. Reliability-based structural design codes are proposed for use in design of midship section of bulk carriers and oil tankers. The design codes proposed in this study have been successfully applied to re-design of midship section of the present ship types. It has been found that the proposed codes can provide more uniform structural design results.

• International Journal of Reliability and Applications
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.173-184
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• 2002

This paper introduces the joint structural importance of two components in a coherent system. Some relationships between joint structural importance and marginal structural importance are presented. It is shown that the sign of Joint structural importance can be determined, in advance, without computation in some special structures. The joint structural importance of two components in some series-parallel and parallel-series systems are established. Some practical examples are presented to elucidate some of the derived results.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.995-1016
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• 2015

The reliability or the safety index is a measure of how far a structure is from the state of collapse. Also it defined as the probability that a structure will not fail in its lifetime. Having any increase in the reliability index is typically interpreted as increasing in the safety of structures. On the other hand most of researchers acknowledged that one of the most effective means of increasing both the reliability and the safety of structures is to increase the structural redundancy. They also acknowledged that increasing the number of vertical seismic framing will make structural system more reliable and safer against stochastic events such as earthquakes. In this paper the reliability index and the behavior factor of a numbers of three dimensional RC moment resisting frames with the same story area, equal lateral resistant as well as different redundancy has been evaluated numerically using both deterministic and probabilistic approaches. Study on the reliability index and the behavior factor in the case study models of this research illustrated that the changes of these two factors do not have always the same manner due to the increasing of the structural redundancy. In some cases, structures with larger reliability index have smaller behavior factor. Also assuming the same ultimate lateral resistance of structures which causes an increase to a certain level of redundancy can enhance behavior factor of structures. However any further increase in the redundancy of that certain level might decrease the behavior factor. Furthermore, the results of this study illustrate that concerning any increase in the structural redundancy will make the reliability index of structure to be larger.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.587-602
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• 2016

In structural reliability analysis, the response surface method is widely adopted because of its numerical efficiency. It should be understood that the response function must approximate the actual limit state function accurately in the main region influencing failure probability where it is evaluated. However, the size of main region influencing failure probability was not defined clearly in current response surface methods. In this study, the concept of sub-region of interest is constructed, and an improved response surface method is proposed based on the sub-region of interest. The sub-region of interest can clearly define the size of main region influencing failure probability, so that the accuracy of the evaluation of failure probability is increased. Some examples are introduced to demonstrate the efficiency and the accuracy of the proposed method for both numerical and implicit limit state functions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1995

This study presents a methodology for the system reliability analysis of cracked structures with random material properties, which are modeled as random fields, and crack geometry under random static loads. The finite element method provides the computational framework to obtain the stress intensity solutions, and the first-order reliability method provides the basis for modeling and analysis of uncertainties. The ultimate structural system reliability is effectively evaluated by the stable configuration approach. Numerical examples are given for the case of random fracture toughness and load.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.39-56
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• 2010

Structural Control relies, with a great deal, on the ability of the control algorithm to identify the current state of the system, at any given point in time. When such algorithms are designed to perform in a smart manner, several smart technologies/devices are called upon to perform tasks that involve pattern recognition and control. Smart pattern recognition is proposed to replace/enhance traditional state identification techniques, which require the extensive manipulation of intricate mathematical equations. Smart pattern recognition techniques attempt to emulate the behavior of the human brain when performing abstract pattern identification. Since these techniques are largely heuristic in nature, it is reasonable to ensure their reliability under real life situations. In this paper, a neural network pattern recognition scheme is explored. The pattern identification of three structural systems is considered. The first is a single bay three-story frame. Both the second and the third models are variations on benchmark problems, previously published for control strategy evaluation purposes. A Neural Network was developed and trained to identify the deformed shape of structural systems under earthquake excitation. The network was trained, for each individual model system, then tested under the effect of a different set of earthquake records. The proposed smart pattern identification scheme is considered an integral component of a Smart Structural System. The Reliability assessment of such component represents an important stage in the evaluation of an overall reliability measure of Smart Structural Systems. Several studies are currently underway aiming at the identification of a reliability measure for such smart pattern recognition technique.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.17-35
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• 2008

Neglecting the real joint behaviour in frame analysis may result in unrealistic predictions of the response and reliability of steel frames. The reliability of the prediction of main joint properties according to the component method (Eurocode 3-Part 1.8) still remains open to further investigation. The first step toward the solution is to compare the theoretical expressions given in EN 1993-1-8 and the experimental results. With that goal in mind six nominally the same, but really different specimens of welded beam-to-column joints subjected to static load were tested. The specimens present a combination of nominally identical structural elements produced in different European mills. This paper provides these tests, as well as their detailed evaulation and interpretation. All three joint structural properties (rotational stiffness, moment resistance and rotation capacity) have been considered. Four models for determining the plastic resistance out of experimental Mj-${\phi}$ curves have been applied. The results that have been discussed in detail, point to the fact that EN 1993-1-8 underestimates the real structural properties of the tested type of joint, as well as to the conclusion that detailed research of this problem needs to be conducted using the probabilistic reliability methods.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2006

The reliability analysis of structures subjected to stochastic loading involves evaluation of time and probability of the system's residence in a reference domain. In this paper, we derive an asymptotic estimate of exit time for multi-degrees-of-freedom structural systems. The system's dynamics is governed by the Lagrangian equations with linear dissipation and fast additive noise. The logarithmic asymptotic of exit time is found explicitly as a sum of two terms dependent on kinetic and potential energy of the system, respectively. As an example, we estimate exit time and an associated structural performance for a rocking structure.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 1992

This paper is an attempt to account for the uncertainty of the residual strength in the reliability analysis of structural systems. For this purpose the stochastic finite element method(SFEM) is linked to the system reliability analysis procedure. The stochastic finite element is known to be able to a more explicitly consider the effect of uncerainties of material and geometric variables on those of load effects in structural analysis procedure. The method has been applied to system as well as component reliability analysis of a plane structure. Comparison of the results by the present approach is made with the method in which the residual strength of failed component is treated as deterministic variable. Several case studies have been carried to show the effect of uncertainty in residual strength of a member after failure. Is has been conformed that reidual strength very much affect the system reliability level. It can be, hence, concluded that the uncertainties in the post-ultirnate behaviour may have to be taken into account in the system reliability analysis for a better a ssessment of the system reliability especially for a structure of which member behaviour is modelled as asemi-brittle model. And then the stochastic finite element method can efficiently evaluate the system reliability.