Structural Reliability and Sustainable Resilience

本研究的目的是通过结合结构系统可靠性的最新理论和计算能力，制定增强的社区弹性概念。基本理论建立在结构的完整性上，就其在其所服务的社区的物质、社会和经济福祉方面的作用而言。这就产生了一种结构设计方法，该方法基于社会对结构投资的内在权衡，即其预期功能的可持续性，以及随之而来的社区弹性。这个概念固有的特点是结构对低概率、高后果事件甚至黑天鹅事件的敏感性。为了实现这一总体目标，结构系统可靠性算法将用于研究结构对多种失效模式和复合载荷组合的敏感性，从而评估其对整体完整性和功能的影响。这将构成复原力和生命周期评估之间关系的基础，而生命周期评估是可持续性的基石。不确定性的替代措施将作为时变过程纳入结构和社区恢复力模型，从而能够开发出全面基础设施的有效方法。这项研究将直接加强结构可靠性和长期可持续性之间的关系，提高建筑环境投资的有效性，特别是在生命周期背景下。占用、环境退化以及自然灾害和人为灾害所造成的潜在后果，最终会影响社区在增长模式、土地使用限制、建筑规范和缓解计划方面的发展决策。这项研究的结果将导致更强大，弹性和高效的建筑环境。新的教育模式也将产生，从工程和社会学的角度对土木系统和危害采取跨学科的方法。该项目还将通过参与项目研究活动，为研究生提供有关系统可靠性、弹性和可持续性主题的高级培训。

The goal of this research is to formulate the enhanced concept of community resilience by the incorporation of recent theoretical and computational capabilities from structural system reliability. The fundamental theory builds upon the integrity of a structure in terms of its role in the physical, social and economic well-being of the community it serves. This leads to an approach to structural design based on the inherent tradeoffs for societal investment in structures in terms of their sustainability for intended functions, and the consequent resilience of the community. Inherent in this concept is the sensitivity of the performance of structures to such issues as low probability, high consequence events, and even black swans. To accomplish this overarching goal, structural system reliability algorithms will be utilized to investigate the sensitivity of structures to multiple failure modes and compound load combinations, leading to an evaluation of their impact on overall integrity and functionality. This will form the basis for the relationship between resilience and life cycle evaluation, the building block of sustainability. Alternative measures of uncertainty will be incorporated into models of structure and community resilience as time-varying processes, enabling the development of efficient approaches to holistic infrastructure.This research will directly enhance the relationship between structural reliability and long-term sustainability, increasing the effectiveness of investments in the built environment, especially in a life cycle context. Potential consequences due to occupancy, environmental degradation, and both natural and intentional hazards ultimately impact community development decisions regarding growth patterns, land use restrictions, building codes and mitigation plans. The results of this research will lead to more robust, resilient and efficient built environments. New educational paradigms will also result, with interdisciplinary approaches to civil systems and hazards from both engineering and sociological perspectives. The project will also provide advanced training to graduate students on the topic of systems reliability, resilience and sustainability through their involvement in the project research activities.