• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.575-589
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• 2012

This paper presents a reliability analysis of steel I-beams with rectangular web openings, based on a combination of the common probabilistic reliability methods, such as RSM, FORM and SORM and using data obtained from experimental tests performed at the Istanbul Technical University. A procedure is proposed to obtain the optimum design load that can be applied to this type of structural members, by taking into account specified target values of reliability indices for ultimate and serviceability limit states. The goal of the paper is to present an algorithm to obtain more realistic and economical design of beams and to demonstrate that it can be applied efficiently to steel I-beams with web openings. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed allowing to ranking the random variables according to their importance in the reliability analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 2022

Surrogate models aim to approximate the performance function with an active-learning design of experiments (DoE) to obtain a sufficiently accurate prediction of the performance function's sign for an inexpensive computational demand in reliability analysis. Nevertheless, many existing active-learning methods are limited to the Kriging model, while the uncertainties of the Kriging itself affect the reliability analysis results. Moreover, the existing general active-learning methods may not achieve a fully satisfactory balance between accuracy and efficiency. Therefore, a novel active-learning method GLM-CM is constructed to yield the issues, which conciliates several merits of existing methods. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, four examples, concerning both mathematical and engineering problems, were selected. By benchmarking obtained results with literature findings, various surrogate models combined with the proposed method not only provide an accurate reliability evaluation while highly alleviating the computational burden, but also provides a satisfactory balance between accuracy and efficiency compared to the other reliability methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.224-229
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• 2010

This paper presents a reliability-based topology optimization (RBTO) using bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO). An actual design involves uncertain conditions such as material property, operational load and dimensional variation. Deterministic topology optimization (DTO) is obtained without considering of uncertainties related to the uncertainty parameters. However, the RBTO can consider the uncertainty variables because it has the probabilistic constraints. In this paper, the reliability index approach (RIA) is adopted to evaluate the probabilistic constraint. RBTO based on BESO starting from various design domains produces a similar optimal topology each other. Numerical examples are presented to compare the DTO with the RBTO.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1130-1135
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• 2003

The need to increase the reliability of a structural system has been significantly brought in the procedure of real designs to consider, for instance, the material properties or geometric dimensions that reveal a random or incompletely known nature. Reliability based design optimization of a real system now becomes an emerging technique to achieve reliability, robustness and safety of these problems. Finite element analysis program and the reliability analysis program are necessary to evaluate the responses and the probabilities of failure of the system, respectively. Moreover, integration of these programs is required during the procedure of reliability based design optimization. It is well known that reliability based design optimization can often have so many local minima that it cannot converge to the specified probability of failure. To overcome this problem, barrier function method in reliability based design optimization is suggested. To illustrate the proposed formulation, reliability based design optimization of a bracket is performed. AMV and FORM are employed for reliability analysis and their optimization results are compared based on the accuracy and efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1990.10a
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• pp.85-90
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• 1990

Current steel pile foundation design is bared an WSD, but the reliability based design method is more rational than the WSD. For this reason, this study proposes a reliability Index of the pile foundation by LFD which is most common type of pile foundation, and also proposes the theoretical bases of nominal safety factors of stability analysis by introducing the reliability theory. The measured bearing capacity data are analyzed to the descriptive statistics and classified into the four models of uncorrelated -normal(UNNO), uncorrelated -nonnormal(UNNN), correlated -normal(CONO), and correlated nonnormal (CONN). This study presents the comparisons of reliability index and check points using the AFSOM with respect to the four models as well as BASIC program.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.803-808
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• 2007

LCCA module enabling to estimate LCC and analyze time-variant reliability index of a plate girder bridge was developed. The developed module was based on the designed data structure following the standardized methodology of ISO/STEP, LCCA module consisted of LCC estimation module, which is composed of six sub modules according to the cost category, and reliability index analysis module, which is composed of time-variant corrosion sub module, time-variant live load sub module, and element reliability analysis sub module, The effectiveness of the developed LCCA module was verified by estimating LCC and analyzing time-variant reliability index of a plate girder bridge on the basis of the constructed test database.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

The conventional design of bridge piers against scour uses scour equations which involve number of uncertain flow, sediments and structural parameters. The inherent high uncertainties in these parameters suggest that the reliability of piers must be assessed to ensure desirable safety of bridges against scour. In the present study, a procedure for the reliability assessment of bridge piers, installed in main and flood channels, against scour has been presented. To study the influence of various random variables on piers' reliability sensitivity analysis has been carried out. To incorporate the reliability in the evaluation of safety factor, a simplified relationship between safety factor and reliability index has been proposed. Effects of clear water (flood channel) and live bed scour (main channel) are highlighted on pier reliability. In addition to these, an attempt has also been made to explain the failure of Black mount bridge of New Zealand based on its pier's reliability analysis. Some parametric studies have also been included to obtain the results of practical interest.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.277-287
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• 1996

Based on the developments of the reliability-based steel structural analysis and design as well as the extending knowledgy on the probabilitic characteristics of loading and resistance the probability based design criteria have been successful Iy developed for many students. The existing design codes, which are genarally based on the structural theory and certain engineering experience, do not realistically consider the uncertainties of loads and resistance and the basic reliability concepts. It is recognized to develope the design criteria by ETCM(Expected Total cost Minimization). In this study, therefore, the proper probability based design criteria (Optimum load and resistance factor design formats ) has been developed based on the safety levels observed from calibration Iii th existing standards, which applies to the ultimate limit states of steel structural members.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1989.04a
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• pp.11-16
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• 1989

This paper presents a fatigue reliability model for the reliability-based evaluation of remaining fatigue life of existing rail-road bridges. It is demonstrated that the simple fatigue reliability model based on the Weibull distribution of fatigue life can be extended by incorporating various effects due to the rate of the train-traffic increase and in-service Inspections. The paper also suggests the system fatigue reliability analysis using an approximate formulation and 2nd-order bound solutions. The application of the proposed model to existing rail-road brdiges based on field load tests shows that it may be practically used for the assessment of fatigue reliability, remaining life, and in-service inspection scheduling of existing rail-road bridges.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.149-165
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• 2016

Floods have been known to be one of the main causes of bridge collapse. Contrary to earthquakes, flood events tend to occur repeatedly and more frequently in rainfall areas; flood-induced damage and collapse account for a significant portion of disasters in many countries. Nevertheless, in contrast to extensive research on the seismic fragility analysis for civil infrastructure, relatively little attention has been devoted to the flood-related fragility. The present study proposes a novel methodology for deriving flood fragility curves for bridges. Fragility curves are generally derived by means of structural reliability analysis, and structural failure modes are defined as excessive demands of the displacement ductility of a bridge under increased water pressure resulting from debris accumulation and structural deterioration, which are known to be the primary causes of bridge failures during flood events. Since these bridge failure modes need to be analyzed through sophisticated structural analysis, flood fragility curve derivation that would require repeated finite element analyses may take a long time. To calculate the probability of flood-induced failure of bridges efficiently, in the proposed framework, the first order reliability method (FORM) is employed for reducing the required number of finite element analyses. In addition, two software packages specialized for reliability analysis and finite element analysis, FERUM (Finite Element Reliability Using MATLAB) and ABAQUS, are coupled so that they can exchange their inputs and outputs during structural reliability analysis, and a Python-based interface for FERUM and ABAQUS is newly developed to effectively coordinate the fragility analysis. The proposed framework of flood fragility analysis is applied to an actual reinforced concrete bridge in South Korea to demonstrate the detailed procedure of the approach.