Structural System Reliability: Overview of Theories and Applications to Optimization

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of theories and applications of structural system reliability (SSR). The paper defines SSR problems and discusses the growing needs for SSR analysis and technical challenges. Detailed literature reviews are provided for three subtopics: SSR methods for Boolean system events, SSR methods for sequential failures, and SSR-based design/topology optimization. Discussions of each subtopic define the target problem using mathematical formulations and categorize existing SSR methods in terms of the characteristics of the problems and approaches. The paper summarizes SSR methods that are considered critical in the history and have introduced notable technological developments in recent years. In each subtopic or category, the reviewed methods are compared with each other in terms of accuracy, computational efficiency, and implementation issues to allow identifying apposite methods for SSR applications. The paper concludes with remarks on future research needs and opportunities.