• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.45-58
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• 2013

In structural reliability analysis, the response surface method is a powerful method to evaluate the probability of failure. However, the location of experimental points used to form a response surface function must be selected in a judicious way. It is necessary for the highly nonlinear limit state functions to consider the design point and the nonlinear trend of the limit state, because both of them influence the probability of failure. In this paper, in order to approximate the actual limit state more accurately, experimental points are selected close to the design point and the actual limit state, and consider the nonlinear trend of the limit state. Linear, quadratic and cubic polynomials without mixed terms are utilized to approximate the actual limit state. The direct Monte Carlo simulation on the approximated limit state is carried out to determine the probability of failure. Four examples are given to demonstrate the efficiency and the accuracy of the proposed method for both numerical and implicit limit states.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.183-189
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• 2013

In this paper, uncertainties and failure criteria of structure are mathematically expressed by random variables and a limit state equation. A limit state equation is approximated by Fleishman's 3rd order polynomials and the theoretical moments of an approximated limit state equation are calculated. Fleishman introduced a 3rd order polynomial in terms of only standard normal distiribution random variables. But, in this paper, Fleishman's polynomial is extended to various random variables including beta, gamma, uniform distributions. Cumulants and a normalized limit state equation are used to calculate a theoretical moments of a limit state equation. A cumulative distribution function of a normalized limit state equation is approximated by a Pearson system.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.365-372
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• 2017

Reliability analysis is a probabilistic approach to determine a safety level of a system. Reliability is defined as a probability of a system (or a structure, in structural engineering) to functionally perform under given conditions. In the 1960s, Basler defined the reliability index as a measure to elucidate the safety level of the system, which until today is a commonly used parameter. However, the reliability index has been formulated based on the pivotal assumption which assumed that the considered limit state function is normally distributed. Nevertheless, it is not guaranteed that the limit state function of systems follow as normal distributions; therefore, there is a need to define a new reliability index for no-normal distributions. The main contribution of this paper is to define a sophisticated reliability index for limit state functions which their distributions are non-normal. To do so, the new definition of reliability index is introduced for non-normal limit state functions according to the probability functions which are calculated based on the convolution theory. Eventually, as the state of the art, this paper introduces a simplified method to calculate the reliability index for non-normal distributions. The simplified method is developed to generate non-normal limit state in terms of normal distributions using series of Gaussian functions.

• International Journal of Railway
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2015

Reliability based limit state design method is replacing traditional deterministic designs such as allowable stress design and/or ultimate strength design methods in world trends. European design code(Eurocode) has adopted limit state design, and Korea road bridge design standard has also recently been transferred to limit state design method. In this trend, Korea railroad design standard is also preparing for adopting the same design concept. While safety factors are determined empirically in traditional design, load combinations as well as load factors are determined by solving limit state equations. General partial safety factors are evaluated by using AFORM(Advanced First Order Reliability Method) in the reliability based limit state design method. In this study sensitivity analysis is carried out for a dead load factor and a live load factor. Relative precisions of the dead load and the live load factors are discussed prior to the AFORM analysis. Furthermore the sectional forces of design and the material quantities required by two different design methods are compared for a PSC box girder railway bridge.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.28-35
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• 2005

It is now well recognized that the ultimate limit state approach is a much better basis for design and strength assessment of ships and offshore structures since it is difficult to determine the realistic margin of safety using the traditional allowable working stress approach on the basis of linear elastic method solutions together with buckling strengthchecks adjusted by a simple plasticity correction. This paper outlines ALPS theory for ultimate limit state assessment of ship structures. ALPS is a computer software which stands for nonlinear Analysis of Large Plated Structures. Application examples of ALPS program to ultimate limit state assessment of plates, stiffened panels and ship hull girders are presented. A benchmark study is made by a comparison with the ALPS solutions with other methods including class rule formulae, nonlinear finite element methods and experimental results. Future trends on ultimate limit state assessment of ship structures are addresse[1]

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.97-103
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• 2014

To ensure durability and light weight of bridges, high-strength concrete is required for long-span deck slabs. Such a technology eventually extends the life of bridges and improves the economic efficiency. The results of this study suggests a formula for calculating the minimum thickness of long-span deck slabs built with high strength concrete. The minimum thickness is proposed based on the limit states indicated in the CEB-FIP Model Code and the Korean Highway Bridge Design Code(limit state design). The design compressive strength of concrete used for the study is 80MPa. Moreover, the required thickness for satisfying the flexural capacity and limiting deflection is estimated considering the limit state load combination. The formula for minimum thickness of deck slabs is proposed considering the ultimate limit state(ULS) and the serviceability limit state(SLS) of bridges, and by comparing the Korean Highway Bridge Design Code and similar previous studies. According to the research finding, the minimum thickness of long-span deck slab is more influenced by deflection limit than flexural capacity.

• 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 Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.171-180
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• 2007

Reliability analysis of prestressed steel and concrete(PSSC) girders is conducted for deflection, stress and moment strength limit state. PSSC girder has strong advantages in terms of construction cost and vertical clearance for the span length of over 40 meters. In this paper, example PSSC girders with different span lengths, section dimensions and design stress levels are designed and analyzed to calculate the midspan deflection, stress and the section moment strength. Deflection limit state, stress limit state and strength limit state functions are assumed and the reliability indexes are obtained by Monte-Carlo simulation and Rackwitz-Fiessler procedure. The results show that the reliability of PSSC girder for deflection limit state is appropriately higher than the stress limit state and the reliability for moment strength is significantly conservative.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2006

The seismic safety of reinforced concrete containment building can be evaluated by probabilistic analysis considering randomness of earthquake, which is more rational than deterministic analysis. In the safety assessment of earthquake-resistant structures by the deterministic theory, it is not easy to consider the effects of random variables but the reliability theory and random vibration theory are useful to assess the seismic safety with considering random effects. The reliability assessment of reinforced concrete containment building subjected to earthquake load includes the structural analysis considering random variables such as load, resistance and analysis method, the definition of limit states and the reliability analysis. The reliability analysis procedure requires much time and labor and also needs to get the high confidence in results. In this study, random vibration analysis of containment building is performed with random variables as earthquake load, concrete compressive strength, modal damping ratio. The seismic responses of critical elements of structure are approximated at the most probable failure point by the response surface method. The response surface method helps to figure out the quantitative characteristics of structural response variability. And the limit state is defined as the failure surface of concrete under multi-axial stress, finally the limit state probability of failure can be obtained simply by first-order second moment method. The reliability analysis for the multiaxial strength limit state and the uniaxial strength limit state is performed and the results are compared with each other. This study concludes that the multiaxial failure criterion is a likely limit state to predict concrete failure strength under combined state of stresses and the reliability analysis results are compatible with the fact that the maximum compressive strength of concrete under biaxial compression state increases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.146-153
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• 2004

The goals of this study are to investigate the feasibility of the reference state approach in determining the generalized soil-water characteristic curve that is essential for characterization of unsaturated soil behavior. The soil-water characteristic curves are obtained from a number of specimens of fine-grained residual soils compacted with different void ratios. Based on the experimental test results, the feasibility of using the liquid limit state as the reference state for predicting the soil-water characteristic curve are verified. Finally, through the regression analysis of experimental data using the equation of Fredlund and Xing (1994), a reliable method is proposed to predict the generalized soil-water characteristic curve of fine-grained residual soils using the liquid limit state as the reference.