Time-dependent reliability-based design optimization of structures with fuzzy uncertainty

Abstract

For addressing the optimal design parameter for the time-dependent structure involving fuzzy variables, a novel reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) model with the constraints of time-dependent failure possibility (TDFP) is proposed. The solution of the RBDO is a double loop method, the outer loop is deterministic optimization, and the inner loop performs TDFP analysis. For evaluating TDFP in the inner loop, firstly the double-loop nested optimization method (DLOM) is investigated, but the high computational cost of DLOM is impractical, thus the single-loop optimization method is adopted. After the detailed implementation of the proposed RBDO is given, several examples containing one numerical example and two engineering examples are introduced to show the rationality of the proposed approach.