Authored by the most active scholars in their respective areas, this volume covers the most recent developments, both theoretical and applicative, in multi-disciplinary reliability evaluation areas, many of which are cutting-edge and not discussed elsewhere in book form.The broad coverage includes the latest thoughts on design for low probability and high consequence events like the failure of the World Trade Center as well as risk acceptability based on the Life Quality Index. Other chapters discuss the development of the performance-based design concept, and the generally overlooked area of the reliability evaluation of bridges and offshore structures. Since the finite element method is routinely used for structural analyses, emphasis is put on discussing reliability evaluation using finite elements including consideration of the mesh-free finite element method. Corrosion and fatigue reliability evaluation techniques are other urgent issues that are dealt with in depth. Risk-based optimization using lifecycle cost analysis is presented. Among the many additional included topics, a chapter is devoted to health assessment of existing structures, currently one of the most active research areas.

This book presents an integrated systems approach to the evaluation, analysis, design, and maintenance of civil engineering systems. Addressing recent concerns about the world's aging civil infrastructure and its environmental impact, the author makes the case for why any civil infrastructure should be seen as part of a larger whole. He walks readers through all phases of a civil project, from feasibility assessment to construction to operations, explaining how to evaluate tasks and challenges at each phase using a holistic approach. Unique coverage of ethics, legal issues, and management is also included.

Dependability and cost effectiveness are primarily seen as instruments for conducting international trade in the free market environment. These factors cannot be considered in isolation of each other. This handbook considers all aspects of performability engineering. The book provides a holistic view of the entire life cycle of activities of the product, along with the associated cost of environmental preservation at each stage, while maximizing the performance.

This book compiles and critically discusses modern engineering system degradation models and their impact on engineering decisions. In particular, the authors focus on modeling the uncertain nature of degradation considering both conceptual discussions and formal mathematical formulations. It also describes the basics concepts and the various modeling aspects of life-cycle analysis (LCA). It highlights the role of degradation in LCA and defines optimum design and operation parameters. Given the relationship between operational decisions and the performance of the system’s condition over time, maintenance models are also discussed. The concepts and models presented have applications in a large variety of engineering fields such as Civil, Environmental, Industrial, Electrical and Mechanical engineering. However, special emphasis is given to problems related to large infrastructure systems. The book is intended to be used both as a reference resource for researchers and practitioners and as an academic text for courses related to risk and reliability, infrastructure performance modeling and life-cycle assessment.

The book exposes three alternative and competing approaches to uncertainty analysis in engineering. It is composed of some essays on various sub-topics like random vibrations, probabilistic reliability, fuzzy-sets-based analysis, unknown-but-bounded variables, stochastic linearization, possible difficulties with stochastic analysis of structures.

This book contains probabilistic analyses and reliability-based designs (RBDs) for the enhancement of Eurocode 7 (EC7) and load and resistance factor design (LRFD) methods. An intuitive perspective and efficient computational procedure for the first-order reliability method (FORM, which includes the Hasofer–Lind reliability index) is explained, together with discussions on the similarities and differences between the design point of EC7/LRFD and RBD-via-FORM. Probability-based designs with respect to the ultimate and serviceability limit states are demonstrated for soil and rock engineering, including shallow and deep foundations, earth-retaining structures, soil slopes, 2D rock slopes with discontinuities, 3D rock slopes with wedge mechanisms, and underground rock excavations. Renowned cases in soil and rock engineering are analyzed both deterministically and probabilistically, and comparisons are made with other probabilistic methods. This book is ideal for practitioners, graduate students and researchers and all who want to deepen their understanding of geotechnical RBD accounting for uncertainty and overcome some limitations and potential pitfalls of the evolving LRFD and EC7. Solutions for the book’s examples are available online and are helpful to acquire a hands-on appreciation: https://www.routledge.com/9780367631390.

This volume contains selected papers presented at the 7th International Conference on Theoretical, Applied, Computational and Experimental Mechanics. The papers come from diverse disciplines, such as aerospace, civil, mechanical, and reliability engineering, physics, and navel architecture. The contents of this volume focus on different aspects of mechanics, namely, fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, flight mechanics, control, and propulsion. This volume will be of use to researchers interested in the study of mechanics across disciplines.

Risk assessment is one of the main parts of complex systematic research of natural and man-made hazards and risks together with the concepts of risk analysis, risk management, acceptable risk, and risk reduction. It is considered as the process of making a recommendation on whether existing risks are acceptable and present risk control measures are adequate, and if they are not, whether alternative risk control measures are justified or will be implemented. Risk assessment incorporates the risk analysis and risk evaluation phases. Risk management is considered as the complete process of risk assessment, risk control, and risk reduction. The book reflects on the state-of-the-art problems and addresses the risk assessment to establish the criteria for ranking risk posed by different types of natural or man-made hazards and disasters, to quantify the impact that hazardous event or process has on population and structures, and to enhance the strategies for risk reduction and avoiding.