Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Differential reliability : probabilistic engineering applied to wood members in bending-tension

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Reliability analysis is a mathematical technique for appraising the design and materials of engineered structures to provide a quantitative estimate of probability of failure. Two or more cases which are similar in all respects but one may be analyzed by this method; the contrast between the probabilities of failure for these cases allows strong analytical focus on the case differences. This comparative procedure is known as differential reliability analysis. The technique is demonstrated by means of an example involving a simple truss member. Applications of reliability analysis important to truss design are discussed. Differential reliability analysis is shown to be of value for code calibration purposes-that is, for evaluating new products or structural systems in terms of the prevailing practice. Reliability analysis can also be valuable for predicting future design-and-use payoff for investments in material properties research.

Keywords

Design, failure, bending, loads, reliability analysis, truss design, engineering analysis, probability of failure, strength of wood

Citation

Suddarth, Stanley K.; Woeste, Frank E.; Galligan, William L. 1978. Differential reliability : probabilistic engineering applied to wood members in bending-tension. Res. Pap. FPL-RP-302. Madison, WI : U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 16 pages
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/24723