Optimum Design of 2-dimensional Continuum Considering Reliability

Abstract

In the design environment, most of the variables and parameters such as load, strength, size and material constants have some randomness and/or in many cases designers cannot know and determine the exact values of these variables. In such a case, the concept of reliability should be included in the design object instead of the conventional safety factor. This paper proposes a problem of optimum shape design for a 2-dimensional continuum, taking the reliability concept into consideration. When size, strength and outer forces vary according to the normal distribution, a shape is determined such that it minimizes the average volume under the constraint of the failure probability. In the body with the obtained shape, the probability of failure is uniform.