A reliability-based criterion of structural performance for structures with linear damping

Abstract

The reliability analysis of structures subjected to stochastic loading involves evaluation of time and probability of the system`s residence in a reference domain. In this paper, we derive an asymptotic estimate of exit time for multi-degrees-of-freedom structural systems. The system`s dynamics is governed by the Lagrangian equations with linear dissipation and fast additive noise. The logarithmic asymptotic of exit time is found explicitly as a sum of two terms dependent on kinetic and potential energy of the system, respectively. As an example, we estimate exit time and an associated structural performance for a rocking structure.