Application of Markov Chain to the Reliability Analysis of Fatigue Crack Propagation Process with Nondestructive Inspection

Abstract

Even in a structure manufactured under complete quality control, it is impossible to exclude some defects which initiate cracks in the early stage of their lives. Consequently, the non-destructive inspection (NDI) is ordinarily performed on the structures which require safety.
In the present paper, by applying the initial crack distribution and the stochastic matrix (developed in the previous paper) to the crack propagation process during NDI, the probability of failure was calculated in both cases of “repair model” and “replacement model”. Then, the reliabilistic analysis was performed for a structure subjected to NDI, taken as a model of fracture. The effect of NDI as well as that of the variability in crack propagation on the propability of failure were also studied.