Probabilistic framework for the assessment of the flexural design of concrete sleepers

2019 ◽  
Vol 234 (7) ◽  
pp. 691-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro E Canga Ruiz ◽  
J Riley Edwards ◽  
Yu Qian ◽  
Marcus S Dersch
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Probability Of Failure ◽  
Extensive Study ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Demand Model ◽  
Reliability Method ◽  
Current Design

An extensive study of the flexural performance of monoblock prestressed concrete sleepers in a light rail system was conducted as part of a research program funded by the Federal Transit Administration. Five consecutive sleepers deployed on the track were instrumented with strain gauges at their critical design cross-sections (center and rail seats) to obtain relevant flexural information during an uninterrupted period of 14 months. Results were compared with the projected design capacities obtained from the application of current design standards, resulting in glaring differences. The current design methodologies were deemed insufficient for the development of optimal design solutions for light rail applications. Furthermore, structural reliability analysis is employed to study the flexural capacity of the sleeper design. A capacity model based on the material and geometric properties of the sleeper design was developed. The demand model was derived from the field flexural data of over 27,000 train passes, fitting this information to predefined probability distributions. Four limit-state functions were defined to represent the typical flexural failure modes. The probability of failure was calculated using first-order reliability method, second-order reliability method, and Monte Carlo simulation. Ultimately, the analysis yielded consistent results for the three methods, showing largely low probability of failure at both design cross-sections under the studied demand level. In conclusion, the sleeper's capacity was higher than the existing field demands, indicating an overly conservative design approach.

Influence of Human Error on Structural Reliability

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Brehm ◽  
Robert Hertle ◽  
Markus Wetzel
Keyword(s):  
Human Error ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Design Procedure ◽  
Material Strength ◽  
Limit States ◽  
The Impact

In common structural design, random variables, such as material strength or loads, are represented by fixed numbers defined in design codes. This is also referred to as deterministic design. Addressing the random character of these variables directly, the probabilistic design procedure allows the determination of the probability of exceeding a defined limit state. This probability is referred to as failure probability. From there, the structural reliability, representing the survival probability, can be determined. Structural reliability thus is a property of a structure or structural member, depending on the relevant limit states, failure modes and basic variables. This is the basis for the determination of partial safety factors which are, for sake of a simpler design, applied within deterministic design procedures. In addition to the basic variables in terms of material and loads, further basic variables representing the structural model have to be considered. These depend strongly on the experience of the design engineer and the level of detailing of the model. However, in the clear majority of cases [1] failure does not occur due to unexpectedly high or low values of loads or material strength. The most common reasons for failure are human errors in design and execution. This paper will provide practical examples of original designs affected by human error and will assess the impact on structural reliability.

Evaluation of the Effect of Yield to Tensile (Y/T) Ratio on the Structural Integrity of Offshore Pipeline by Limit State Design Approach

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Mannucci ◽  
Giuliano Malatesta ◽  
Giuseppe Demofonti ◽  
Marco Tivelli ◽  
Hector Quintanilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Minor Effect ◽  
Offshore Pipelines ◽  
Limit State Design ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Probabilistic Failure Analysis ◽  
Failure Probabilities

Nowadays specifications require strict Yield to Tensile ratio limitation, nevertheless a fully accepted engineering assessment of its influence on pipeline integrity is still lacking. Probabilistic analysis based on structural reliability approach (Limit State Design, LSD) aimed at quantifying the yield to tensile strength ratio (Y/T) influence on failure probabilities of offshore pipelines was made. In particular, Tenaris seamless pipe data were used as input for the probabilistic failure analysis. The LSD approach has been applied to two actual deepwater design cases that have been on purpose selected, and the most relevant failure modes have been considered. Main result of the work is that the quantitative effect of the Y/T ratio on failure probabilities of a deepwater pipeline resulted not so big as expected; it has a minor effect, especially when Y only governs failure modes.

Reliability Based Assessment of Deck Elevations for Offshore Jacket Platforms

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Heredia-Zavoni ◽  
Dante Campos ◽  
Gallegher Ramı´rez
Keyword(s):  
Reliability Index ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Probability Of Failure ◽  
Upper And Lower Bounds ◽  
Series System ◽  
Wave Loading ◽  
System Components ◽  
Storm Wave ◽  
Wave Heights

Structural reliability analyses of fixed marine platforms subjected to storm wave loading are performed to assess deck elevations. Platforms are modeled as a series system consisting of the deck and jacket bays. The structural reliability analyses are carried out assuming dominant failure modes for the system components. Upper and lower bounds of the probability of failure are computed. The variation of the reliability index per bay component as a function of wave height, with a focus on those wave heights that generate forces on the deck, is analyzed. A comparison is given for the deck probability of failure and the lower bound probability of failure of the jacket in order to assess how the deck or the jacket controls the probability of failure of the system. Results are also given for reliability analyses considering different deck elevations. Finally, an analysis of the total probabilities of failure, unconditioned on wave heights, is given.

Efficient Reliability Assessment With the Conditional Probability Method

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rami Mansour ◽  
Mårten Olsson
Keyword(s):  
Conditional Probability ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Reliability Assessment ◽  
Probability Of Failure ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Probability Method ◽  
Probability Of Survival ◽  
Design Variables ◽  
Reliability Method

Reliability assessment is an important procedure in engineering design in which the probability of failure or equivalently the probability of survival is computed based on appropriate design criteria and model behavior. In this paper, a new approximate and efficient reliability assessment method is proposed: the conditional probability method (CPM). Focus is set on computational efficiency and the proposed method is applied to classical load-strength structural reliability problems. The core of the approach is in the computation of the probability of failure starting from the conditional probability of failure given the load. The number of function evaluations to compute the probability of failure is a priori known to be 3n + 2 in CPM, where n is the number of stochastic design variables excluding the strength. The necessary number of function evaluations for the reliability assessment, which may correspond to expensive computations, is therefore substantially lower in CPM than in the existing structural reliability methods such as the widely used first-order reliability method (FORM).

Reliability analysis of wood I-joists

1993 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 564-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. O. Foschi ◽  
F. Z. Yao
Keyword(s):  
Reliability Analysis ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Load Carrying Capacity ◽  
Limit States ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Strength Limit ◽  
Reliability Method ◽  
Load Carrying

This paper presents a reliability analysis of wood I-joists for both strength and serviceability limit states. Results are obtained from a finite element analysis coupled with a first-order reliability method. For the strength limit state of load-carrying capacity, multiple failure modes are considered, each involving the interaction of several random variables. Good agreement is achieved between the test results and the theoretical prediction of variability in load-carrying capacity. Finally, a procedure is given to obtain load-sharing adjustment factors applicable to repetitive member systems such as floors and flat roofs. Key words: reliability, limit state design, wood composites, I-joist, structural analysis.

Surrogate-model-based reliability method for structural systems with dependent truncated random variables

2017 ◽  
Vol 231 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning-Cong Xiao ◽  
Libin Duan ◽  
Zhangchun Tang
Keyword(s):  
Surrogate Model ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Random Variables ◽  
Probability Of Failure ◽  
Structural Systems ◽  
Multiple Failure Modes ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Reliability Sensitivity ◽  
Reliability Method ◽  
Uncertainty Space

Calculating probability of failure and reliability sensitivity for a structural system with dependent truncated random variables and multiple failure modes efficiently is a challenge mainly due to the complicated features and intersections for the multiple failure modes, as well as the correlated performance functions. In this article, a new surrogate-model-based reliability method is proposed for structural systems with dependent truncated random variables and multiple failure modes. Copula functions are used to model the correlation for truncated random variables. A small size of uniformly distribution samples in the supported intervals is generated to cover the entire uncertainty space fully and properly. An accurate surrogate model is constructed based on the proposed training points and support vector machines to approximate the relationships between the inputs and system responses accurately for almost the entire uncertainty space. The approaches to calculate probability of failure and reliability sensitivity for structural systems with truncated random variables and multiple failure modes based on the constructed surrogate model are derived. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are demonstrated using two numerical examples.

First-Order Reliability Method for Structural Reliability Analysis in the Presence of Random and Interval Variables

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Umberto Alibrandi ◽  
C. G. Koh
Keyword(s):  
Reliability Analysis ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Computational Effort ◽  
Stochastic Dynamic ◽  
First Order Reliability Method ◽  
First Order ◽  
Structural Reliability Analysis ◽  
Reliability Method

This paper presents a novel procedure based on first-order reliability method (FORM) for structural reliability analysis in the presence of random parameters and interval uncertain parameters. In the proposed formulation, the hybrid problem is reduced to standard reliability problems, where the limit state functions are defined only in terms of the random variables. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) for hybrid reliability analysis (HRA) is presented, and it is shown that it requires a tremendous computational effort; FORM for HRA is more efficient but still demanding. The computational cost is significantly reduced through a simplified procedure, which gives good approximations of the design points, by requiring only three classical FORMs and one interval analysis (IA), developed herein through an optimization procedure. FORM for HRA and its simplified formulation achieve a much improved efficiency than MCS by several orders of magnitude, and it can thus be applied to real-world engineering problems. Representative examples of stochastic dynamic analysis and performance-based engineering are presented.

A Quantified Risk-Based Design Assessment of a Localized ‘Pinch-Point’ on the Proposed Route of a High-Pressure Natural Gas Pipeline

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Francis ◽  
Chas Jandu ◽  
Marcus McCallum
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Gas Pipeline ◽  
State Function ◽  
Original Design ◽  
Design Assessment

Our Client was commissioned to construct an onshore high pressure gas pipeline. The pipeline was to be about 50km in length, 1066mm diameter, 15.88mm nominal wall thickness and constructed from X65 material. During the route selection phase it was discovered that it would be very difficult to avoid passing the pipeline through a locally highly populated area. In view of this it was naturally decided that the pipeline should be constructed from heavy wall sectioned pipe to mitigate the threat of failure due to causes including mechanical damage and corrosion. However, there was still a concern that the residual risk, even when the above mitigating measure had been taken, would still be unacceptably high. In view of this Andrew Francis & Associates Ltd (AFAA) were commissioned to assess the remaining risk levels using a quantified risk assessment technique in accordance with the UK pipeline design code, IGE/TD/1 Edition 4, which provides for the use of such techniques. The technique used by AFAA involved detailed Structural Reliability Analysis (SRA) combined with an assessment of the consequences of failure. AFAA began the study by identifying the possible failure modes and these included mechanical damage, external corrosion, fatigue crack growth and AC induced corrosion. However, discussions were held between AFAA and the Client and after giving due consideration to the benefits of modern construction standards, and the use of Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) coating, it was agreed that the only significant threat to integrity was mechanical damage. AFAA used SRA to determine the likelihood of failure due to mechanical damage based on a state-of-art-limit state function taking account of key areas of uncertainty including variations in defect dimensions and material properties. A consequence model was used to determine the possible effects on the local population if a rupture of the pipeline was to occur. The consequence model was used to determine the amount of thermal dose that personnel, in the vicinity of the release, might receive, taking account of the transient nature of the gas flow. The mitigating effects of nearby buildings that would afford shelter from the effects of the thermal radiation levels were naturally taken into account. The results were expressed in terms of an F/N curve and assessed against the risk criteria contained in IGE//TD/1. It was concluded from the analysis that the proposed design did not pose an unacceptable level of risk and moreover that part of the proposed heavy wall section was unnecessary. However, in the interests of conservatism our customer proceeded with the original design. This paper describes the modelling technique used by AFAA and clearly presents the results and conclusions of the analysis.

System Reliability of Existing Jacket Platform in Malaysian Water (Failure Path and System Reliability Index)

2014 ◽  
Vol 567 ◽  
pp. 307-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. John Kurian ◽  
Mohamed Mubarak Abdul Wahab ◽  
T.S. Kheang ◽  
Mohd Shahir Liew
Keyword(s):  
System Reliability ◽  
Reliability Index ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Pushover Analysis ◽  
Probability Of Failure ◽  
Jacket Platform ◽  
First Order ◽  
Failure Path ◽  
Reliability Method ◽  
Two Parameters

The objective of this work is to determine the structural reliability of an existing jacket platform in Malaysia, by determining the system probability of failure and its corresponding reliability index. These two parameters are important indicators for assessing the integrity and reliability of the platform, and will point out whether the platform is suitable for continued operation. In this study, pushover analysis is used to determine possible failure paths of the structure, while First Order Reliability Method (FORM) and Simple Bound Formula are used to determine the failure probability and reliability index. Three failure paths of the platform are established. The reliability index of these paths is found with the highest Reliability Indexto be 18.82 from the 315-degree path, while the system reliability index is 9.23. This illustrates that the platform is robust and the chances of collapse is very small.

Performance of In-Line Inspection Tools and Their Influence on the Structural Reliability of Corroded Pipeline

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose´ de Jesu´s Leal Carvajalino ◽  
Fa´bio de Castro Marangone ◽  
Jose´ Luiz de Franc¸a Freire
Keyword(s):  
Sequential Analysis ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Visual Basic ◽  
Probability Of Failure ◽  
First Order ◽  
Reliability Method ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Corrosion Defects ◽  
Reference Tool

This paper presents: i) the assessment of in-line inspection (ILI) tools’ performance in the measurement of defects caused by corrosion; ii) different methods for calculating the probability of failure (POF) of corroded pipeline based on the ILI report. The ILI report is compared to the geometry of defects measured by a reference tool (field measurements) and the errors associated with each measurement system are analyzed and assessed through different statistical methods. The minimum number of field measurements necessary to verify the performance of the ILI in sizing the corrosion defects is determined by implementing a test based on sequential analysis. The POF of a pipeline is calculated using two methods: i) first order reliability method (FORM) and ii) propagation of uncertainties. The comparison between calculated and acceptable POF enables the determining of the next reinspection period. When the calculated POF exceeds the acceptable POF before completing the amount of time desired for the next inspection, the developed procedure enables determining the number of repairs that must be made to reach the desired time when the next ILI will be performed. Finally, a software in Visual Basic® language was developed to implement this work.

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