RELIABILITY OF A STRUCTURE USING CHANCE CONSTRAINED PROGRAMMING

Abstract

In the evaluation of a structural reliability, it is important to seek the probability distribution of the structure, but in many cases, it is difficult to determine it for complex structures. In this paper the limit analysis of a structure with probabilistic natures is rewritten to a stochastic mathematical programming problem (i.e. chance-constrained programming problem), where it is assumed that the probability that the structure is within the yield loci is equal to the probability that the collapse does not occur, and then the probability distribution of strengths is estimated. As an example, a reinforced circular cylindrical silo subject to loading by its contents with, and the probability distribution of the strengths and the reliability of the structure are numerically calculated.