Abstract
The present paper discusses a method to estimate differential settlements for reticulated structures based on the Principle of Maximum Entropy. The condition assumed in estimation is that the standard deviation of the differential settlements is prescribed. Under the condition several cases are studied for the following subsidiary conditions: (i) the total strain energy of the structure gets maximum or minimum; (ii) the standard deviation of stress of a paticular member-gets maximum. The results are compared with those simulated by Monte-Carlo method and the characteristics of the estimated differential settlements are classified.
