PROBABILISTIC MODELING OF COMBINED LOAD EFFECT TAKING TEMPORAL VARIATION OF LOAD PROCESSES INTO ACCOUNT

Abstract

A structural load varies in space and in time. When more than one load act on a structure, the maximum intensity of the combined load effect needs to be evaluated. Turkstra's rule is often used because of its simplicity. However, its theoretical reasoning and applicability are still in question. This paper presents the theoretical expressions of the cumulative distribution function of the maximum intensity during a reference period taking the temporal variation of load intensity into account. Numerical examples show that, while Turkstra's rule provides an unconservative estimate, the theoretical expression provides a fairly good estimate regardless of the statistical characteristics of the load processes.