Comments on reliability assessment methods and structural design codes in the computer era

Abstract

The chapter comments on reliability assessment methods and structural design codes in the computer era, and briefly specifies the main issues related to the transition from structural reliability assessment methods applied in current codes to probabilistic methods based on the application of a simulation technique and the Monte Carlo method, on input variables expressed by nonparametric distributions and on reference values. Such a transition to a nontraditional approach to the reliability assessment in designer's work requires re-engineering of the entire design procedure, a new format of codes, introduction of databases, as well as education leading to the probabilistic “way of thinking” by designers. The simulation-based reliability assessment (SBRA) method can assist in accomplishing such efforts. The expansion of SBRA applications from the simple structures to the systems is a subject of ongoing research efforts considering first and second order theories and time depending probability of failure.