Abstract
This paper describes a new method for Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics (PFM). The present authors have previously developed a new method for PFM, named Recursive Distribution (RD) method. The method depends on the construction of the Lebesgue-Stieltjes measure through a deterministic mapping defining a crack growth process. Here the mapping is extended from C^1 isomorphism to C^1 mapping which allows a weak discontinuity. The critical points of the mapping are classified, and the Lebesgue decomposition is given to the distribution of crack geometry using the classification. The present method is applied to an analysis of LWR's piping integrity problem, and almost the same results as those obtained by the Monte Carlo (MC) method are obtained. CPU time of the RD method is less than 1/10 of the MC method.
