Sensitivity of Reliability‐Based Optimum Design

Abstract

A reliability‐based optimization sensitivity analysis technique based on the feasible directions concept is presented for plastic design of redundant structures. This technique is specialized to a formulation of the problem of plastic optimization for minimum weight based on a rational reliability constraint for sizing members. The technique is demonstrated with a structural design example where emphasis is placed on the sensitivity of the reliability‐based optimum solution to both the correlation among strengths and the method for evaluating the overall probability of plastic collapse.