The role of the design point for calculating failure probabilities in view of dimensionality and structural nonlinearities

This contribution presents a collection of observations on the performance of different methods for assessing structural reliability in view of dimensionality and structural nonlinearities. In particular, the focus of this contribution is in assessing the role of the design point in approximate reliability methods and the range of applicability of these methods. Results presented in this contribution indicate that approximate methods may not be always suitable for treating high dimensional, nonlinear problems. Advanced simulation methods seem to be more appropriate for treating this class of problems. However, in some extreme cases, even simulation may not be applicable. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.