Probabilistic Structural Mechanics Handbook Theory

The need for a comprehensive book on probabilistic structural mechanics that brings together the many analytical and computational methods developed over the years and their applications in a wide spectrum of industries-from residential buildings to nuclear power plants, from bridges to pressure vessels, from steel structures to ceramic structures-became evident from the many discussions the editor had with practising engineers, researchers and professors. Because no single individual has the expertise to write a book with such a di.verse scope, a group of 39 authors from universities, research laboratories, and industries from six countries in three continents was invited to write 30 chapters covering the various aspects of probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor and the authors believe that this handbook will serve as a reference text to practicing engineers, teachers, students and researchers. It may also be used as a textbook for graduate-level courses in probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor wishes to thank the chapter authors for their contributions. This handbook would not have been a reality without their collaboration.

The need for a comprehensive book on probabilistic structural mechanics that brings together the many analytical and computational methods developed over the years and their applications in a wide spectrum of industries-from residential buildings to nuclear power plants, from bridges to pressure vessels, from steel structures to ceramic structures-became evident from the many discussions the editor had with practising engineers, researchers and professors. Because no single individual has the expertise to write a book with such a di.verse scope, a group of 39 authors from universities, research laboratories, and industries from six countries in three continents was invited to write 30 chapters covering the various aspects of probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor and the authors believe that this handbook will serve as a reference text to practicing engineers, teachers, students and researchers. It may also be used as a textbook for graduate-level courses in probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor wishes to thank the chapter authors for their contributions. This handbook would not have been a reality without their collaboration.

Well-written introduction covers the elements of the theory of probability from two or more random variables, the reliability of such multivariable structures, the theory of random function, Monte Carlo methods of treating problems incapable of exact solution, and more. No previous knowledge of the subject necessary. Numerous examples, illustrative figures.

The volume presents a collaboration between internationally recognized experts on anti-optimization and structural optimization, and summarizes various novel ideas, methodologies and results studied over 20 years. The book vividly demonstrates how the concept of uncertainty should be incorporated in a rigorous manner during the process of designing real-world structures. The necessity of anti-optimization approach is first demonstrated, then the anti-optimization techniques are applied to static, dynamic and buckling problems, thus covering the broadest possible set of applications. Finally, anti-optimization is fully utilized by a combination of structural optimization to produce the optimal design considering the worst-case scenario. This is currently the only book that covers the combination of optimization and anti-optimization. It shows how various optimization techniques are used in the novel anti-optimization technique, and how the structural optimization can be exponentially enhanced by incorporating the concept of worst-case scenario, thereby increasing the safety of the structures designed in various fields of engineering.

The first edition of this book appeared over three decades ago (Wiley-Interscience, 1983), whereas the second one saw light on the verge of new millennium (Dover, 1999). This is third, corrected and expanded edition that appears in conjunction with its companion volume Probabilistic Methods in the Theory of Structures: Complete Worked-Through Solutions. Thus, the reader is able to both get acquainted with the theoretical material and be able to master some of the problems, following Chinese dictum: I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand — Confucius. The main idea of the book lies in the fact that three topics: probabilistic strength of materials, random vibrations, and probabilistic buckling are presented in a single package allowing one to see the forest in between the trees. Indeed, these three topics usually are presented in separate manners, in different specialized books. Here, the reader gets a feeling of true unity of the subject at large in order to appreciate that in the end what one wants is reliability of the structure, in conjunction with its operating conditions. As the author describes in the Preface of the second edition, this book was not conceived ab initio, as a book that author strived to compose. Rather, it was forced, as it were, upon me due to two reasons. One was rather a surprising but understandable requirement in the venerable Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands to prepare the lecture notes for students with the view of reducing skyrocketing costs of acquisition of textbooks by the students. The other one was an unusually warm acceptance of the notes that the author prepared while at Delft University of Technology and later in Haifa, at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology by the legendary engineering scientist Warner Tjardus Koiter (1914–1997). The energy necessary to prepare the second and third editions came from enthusiastic reviews that appeared in various sources. Author embraced the simplicity of exposition as the main virtue following Isaac Newton's view that "Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things."

Traditionally, engineers look to established safety factors to build sound structures, but the process is inefficient and often yields less than the desired results. This reference presents a different approach, allowing structural engineers to overcome the unpredictability of traditional modeling systems by developing sophisticated equation sets to solve specific structural problems.

Uncertainties play a dominant role in the design and optimization of structures and infrastructures. In optimum design of structural systems due to variations of the material, manufacturing variations, variations of the external loads and modelling uncertainty, the parameters of a structure, a structural system and its environment are not given, fi

Researchers in the engineering industry and academia are making important advances on reliability-based design and modeling of uncertainty when data is limited. Non deterministic approaches have enabled industries to save billions by reducing design and warranty costs and by improving quality. Considering the lack of comprehensive and defini

Designing Capable and Reliable Products offers an introduction to the importance of capability, quality and reliability in product development. It introduces the concept of capable design, focusing on producing designs that meet quality standards and also looks at linking component manufacture and its process capability with failure rates. It provides an introduction to reliable design, incorporating the probabilistic concept of reliability into the product design. This quantitative and highly practical volume provides practical methods for analysing mechanical designs with respect to their capability and reliability. Practising engineers who have to hit definite standards for design will find this book invaluable, as it outlines methods which use physically significant data to quanitify engineering risks at the design stage. By obtaining more realistic measures of design performance, failure costs can be reduced. Taking product design as its central theme, this book is a very useful tool for postgraduate students as well as professional engineers.

Innovative Bridge Design Handbook: Construction, Rehabilitation, and Maintenance, Second Edition, brings together the essentials of bridge engineering across design, assessment, research and construction. Written by an international group of experts, each chapter is divided into two parts: the first covers design issues, while the second presents current research into the innovative design approaches used across the world. This new edition includes new topics such as foot bridges, new materials in bridge engineering and soil-foundation structure interaction. All chapters have been updated to include the latest concepts in design, construction, and maintenance to reduce project cost, increase structural safety, and maximize durability. Code and standard references have been updated. Completely revised and updated with the latest in bridge engineering and design Provides detailed design procedures for specific bridges with solved examples Presents structural analysis including numerical methods (FEM), dynamics, risk and reliability, and innovative structural typologies

fib Bulletin 40 deals mainly with the use of FRP bars as internal reinforcement for concrete structures. The background of the main physical and mechanical properties of FRP reinforcing bars is presented, with special emphasis on durability aspects. For each of the typical ultimate and serviceability limit states, the basic mechanical model is given, followed by different design models according to existing codes or design guidelines. Composite FRP materials are still relatively new in construction and most engineers are unfamiliar with their properties and characteristics. The second chapter of this bulletin therefore aims to provide practising engineers with the necessary background knowledge in this field, and also presents typical products currently available in the international market. The third chapter deals with the issue of durability and identifies the parameters that can lead to deterioration, which is necessary information when addressing design issues. A series of parameters is used to identify the allowable stress in the FRP after exposure for a specified period of time in a specific environment. The bulletin covers the issues of Ultimate Limit States (primarily dealing with flexural design), Serviceability Limit States (dealing with deflections and cracking), Shear and Punching Shear and Bond and Tension Stiffening. It provides not only the state-of-the-art but also in many cases ideas for the next generation of design guidelines. The final chapter deals with the fundamental issue of design philosophy. The use of these new materials as concrete reinforcement has forced researchers to re-think many of the fundamental principles used until now in RC design. The bulletin ends with a discussion of a possible new framework for developing partial safety factors to ensure specific safety levels that will be flexible enough to cope with new materials.

Earthquakes are nearly unique among natural phenomena - they affect virtually everything within a region, from massive buildings and bridges, down to the furnishings within a home. Successful earthquake engineering therefore requires a broad background in subjects, ranging from the geologic causes and effects of earthquakes to understanding the imp

The functionality of modern structural, mechanical and electrical or electronic systems depends on their ability to perform under uncertain conditions. Consideration of uncertainties and their effect on system behavior is an essential and integral part of defining systems. In eleven chapters, leading experts present an overview of the current state of uncertainty modeling, analysis and design of large systems in four major areas: finite and boundary element methods (common structural analysis techniques), fatigue, stability analysis, and fault-tolerant systems. The content of this book is unique; it describes exciting research developments and challenges in emerging areas, and provide a sophisticated toolbox for tackling uncertainty modeling in real systems.

Virtual test methods can contribute to reducing the great effort for physical tests in the development of lightweight products. The present work describes an approach for virtual testing of sandwich panel joints based on the Building Block Approach and the Finite Elements Method. Building on a multitude of physical tests on sandwich materials and joints, adequate sub-models are developed, validated and synthesized to top-level models. The developed approach is eventually applied for the development of a novel sandwich panel joint.

The application areas of uncertainty are numerous and diverse, including all fields of engineering, computer science, systems control and finance. Determining appropriate ways and methods of dealing with uncertainty has been a constant challenge. The theme for this book is better understanding and the application of uncertainty theories. This book, with invited chapters, deals with the uncertainty phenomena in diverse fields. The book is an outgrowth of the Fourth International Symposium on Uncertainty Modeling and Analysis (ISUMA), which was held at the center of Adult Education, College Park, Maryland, in September 2003. All of the chapters have been carefully edited, following a review process in which the editorial committee scrutinized each chapter. The contents of the book are reported in twenty-three chapters, covering more than . . ... pages. This book is divided into six main sections. Part I (Chapters 1-4) presents the philosophical and theoretical foundation of uncertainty, new computational directions in neural networks, and some theoretical foundation of fuzzy systems. Part I1 (Chapters 5-8) reports on biomedical and chemical engineering applications. The sections looks at noise reduction techniques using hidden Markov models, evaluation of biomedical signals using neural networks, and changes in medical image detection using Markov Random Field and Mean Field theory. One of the chapters reports on optimization in chemical engineering processes.

When a structure is put under an increasing compressive load, it becomes unstable and buckling occurs. Buckling is a particularly significant concern in designing shell structures such as aircraft, automobiles, ships, or bridges. This book discusses stability analysis and buckling problems and offers practical tools for dealing with uncertainties that exist in real systems. The techniques are based on two complementary theories which are developed in the text. First, the probabilistic theory of stability is presented, with particular emphasis on reliability. Both theoretical and computational issues are discussed. Secondly, the authors present the alternative to probability based on the notion of 'anti-optimization', a theory that is valid when the necessary information for probabilistic analysis is absent, that is, when only scant data are available. Design engineers, researchers, and graduate students in aerospace, mechanical, marine, and civil engineering who are concerned with issues of structural integrity will find this book a useful reference source.

Intended for engineers from a variety of disciplines dealing with structural materials, this text describes the current state of knowledge. It begins by describing the fracture process at the two extremes of scale: first in the context of atomic structures, then in terms of a continuous elastic medium. Treating the fracture process in increasingly sophisticated ways, the book then considers plastic corrections and the procedures for measuring the toughness of materials. Practical considerations are then discussed, including crack propagation, geometry dependence, flaw density, mechanisms of failure by cleavage, the ductile-brittle transition, and continuum damage mechanics. The whole is rounded off with discussions of generalised plasticity and the link between the microscopic and macroscopic aspects, and problems are provided at the end of each chapter.

This book pursues the ambitious goal of combining floating wind turbine design optimization and reliability assessment, which has in fact not been done before. The topic is organized into a series of very ambitious objectives, which start with an initial state-of-the-art review, followed by the development of high-fidelity frameworks for a disruptive way to design next generation floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) support structures. The development of a verified aero-hydro-servo-elastic coupled numerical model of dynamics for FOWTs and a holistic framework for automated simulation and optimization of FOWT systems, which is later used for the coupling of design optimization with reliability assessment of FOWT systems in a computationally and time-efficient manner, has been an aim of many groups internationally towards implementing a performance-based/goal-setting approach in the design of complex engineering systems. The outcomes of this work quantify the benefits of an optimal design with a lower mass while fulfilling design constraints. Illustrating that comprehensive design methods can be combined with reliability analysis and optimization algorithms towards an integrated reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) can benefit not only the offshore wind energy industry but also other applications such as, among others, civil infrastructure, aerospace, and automotive engineering.

"Explains how to assess and handle technical risk, schedule risk, and cost risk efficiently and effectively--enabling engineering professionals to anticipate failures regardless of system complexity--highlighting opportunities to turn failure into success."