Optimal reliability-based design of complex structural systems

The reliability-based design of structures as a system remains an issue that has not been adequately addressed. Properly, this issue requires the assessment of the system reliability of a complete structure, considering the effects of both the aleatory and epistemic types of uncertainty. The recently developed probability density evolution method (PDEM) is effective for assessing the effects of the aleatory uncertainty, resulting in the PDF of the critical state of a system. The effects of the epistemic uncertainty may be included in the system reliability as the potential error of the calculated mean critical state of the system. The result of the PDEM, including the effect of the epistemic uncertainty, is the probability density function (PDF) of the system response. The application of the proposed method is illustrated with the optimal design of three major engineering systems; namely, an offshore oil production platform; a cable-stayed bridge; and a high-rise building under a strong motion earthquake.

Automated summary

This paper discusses the reliability-based design of structures as a system, introduces the probability density evolution method for assessing random uncertainty, and explores the impact of epistemic uncertainty on system reliability. The application of the proposed method is illustrated with the optimal design of three major engineering systems.