A quantile-based approach for calibrating reliability-based partial factors

This paper proposes a quantile-based approach for calibrating reliability-based partial factors that is based on an equivalence principle between the design quantiles for the random variables and the target reliability. The potential advantage is to allow a single design quantile to maintain a more uniform reliability over a wider range of design parameters. The proposed approach does not require the capacity to be lumped as a single lognormal random variable in the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) format nor does it require tedious segment by segment optimization of the resistance factors in the Multiple Resistance Factor Design (MUD) format. The applicability, usefulness, and limitation of the proposed approach are illustrated using three examples. The results show that the proposed approach is able to maintain a uniform reliability over a wider range of design parameters with a single design quantile, which cannot be easily attained by other calibration methods such as the First-Order Reliability Method. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.