Structural reliability and finite element methods

Abstract

The Finite Element Methods has become a common tool for engineering analysis and design subsequent to phenomenal increase in computing power available even on laptop and personnel computers. Further, design optimization and reliability analysis techniques and methodologies needing a number of evaluations of design problem at hand are becoming accessible and affordable. This paper concerns to review various techniques and methods that may be used in Reliability Analysis (RA) based on Finite Element Methods (FEM). A review of reliability analysis tools available within the ANSYS commercial FEA software as well as that of STRUREL, the commercial RA software is carried out. A simple portal frame structure analysis has been done using various methods, and the results are compared for computational cost and accuracy.