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Indexed by:期刊论文

Date of Publication:2014-08-01

Journal:STRUCTURAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY OPTIMIZATION

Included Journals:SCIE、EI、Scopus

Volume:50

Issue:2

Page Number:275-286

ISSN No.:1615-147X

Key Words:Structural reliability analysis; Disjoint failure domains; Multiple design points; Discontinuous responses; Probability density evolution method

Abstract:In reliability-based structural analysis and design optimization, there exist some limit state functions exhibiting disjoint failure domains, multiple design points and discontinuous responses. This study addresses this type of challenging problem of reliability assessment of structures with complex limit state functions based on the probability density evolution method (PDEM). Probability density function (PDF) of stochastic structures under static and dynamic loads can be acquired, which is independent of the specific form of limit state functions. Numerical results of several typical examples illustrate that, the time-invariant and instantaneous PDF curves and failure probabilities of stochastic structures with disjoint failure domains, multiple design points and discontinuous responses are calculated effectively and accurately. Moreover, the PDEM is validated to be more efficient than the Monte Carlo simulation and the subset simulation, and is a feasible and general approach to tackle the reliability analysis of complicated problems. In addition, the influence of random design parameters of structures on uncertainty propagation is also scrutinized.