Optimal design under time-variant reliability constraints

While reliability-oriented structural optimization under time-independent loading and resistances is sufficiently well known, the same problem under time-dependent loads and resistances has found at most, grossly simplified solutions. The main reason is that reliability calculations are far more complicated than for time-invariant loading. In this paper, a first attempt is made to use the out-crossing approach for the reliability part in structural optimization. In particular, reliabilities will be determined by the out-crossing approach in the context of FORM. Two types of load models, stationary rectangular wave renewal processes and differentiable processes, respectively, will be dealt with. As in time-invariant optimal design, a one-level approach is pursued. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.