Stress-Strength Interference Method

Abstract

The stress—strength interference method is one of the oldest methods of structural reliability analysis. Although more powerful methods of reliability analysis such as the first-order/second-order reliability methods and simulation techniques (which are applicable to a broader class of problems and with less restrictive assumptions) are now available, the stress—strength interference method continues to be a popular method of reliability analysis among practicing engineers in many industries. The attractiveness of the method lies in its simplicity, ease, and economy. A major drawback is the assumption that the strength and stress are statistically independent, which may not be valid for some problems. If this assumption can be justified, then reliability can be computed relatively quickly, using stress—strength interference methods; analytical solutions are available for a wide range of situations.