UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION IN COMPUTATIONAL STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS

Abstract

A realistic, optimum and sufficient design ensures that the structures are (i) fit for their purpose (ii) safe and (iii) economical and durable. Thus safety is one of the paramount responsibilities of the designer. However, it is difficult to assess at the design stage how safe a proposed design will actually be. There is, in fact, a great deal of uncertainty about the many factors, which influence both safety and economy. The uncertainties affecting the safety of a structure are due to, • Uncertainty about loading • Uncertainty about material strength and • Uncertainty about structural dimensions and behaviour. These uncertainties together make it impossible for a designer to guarantee that a structure will be absolutely safe. The factor of safety represented a margin for uncertainties in strength and load. This is to account for the variation for any unforeseen additional loads, uncertainty in element dimension, material properties etc. So, quantifying the uncertainty will help to get that factor which will account for all the uncertain quantities.