OVERVIEW

The course generalise the concept of structural design from a deterministic to a probabilistic viewpoint: compliance to requirements is assessed on the basis of the probability of crisis and, possibly of consequences

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Concept of structural reliability and safety with application to marine loads and structures. Procedures for reliability assessments. Capacity of interpreting structural reliability assessments and of performing short/long term predictions of sea loads.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Passing the exam, the student will be able to understand, interpret and carry out reliability and risk analyses on marine structures. In particular he/she will gain:

• Capacity of understanding the meaning of the probabilistic characterization of a variable with reference to the physical and model uncertainties affecting the variable.
• Capacity of understanding and applying the concept of extreme value (upper or lower)
• Capacity of characterizing the probability distribution of a wave load, on the short and long term, by applying the necessary hypotheses and procedures.
• Capacity of analysing, with both precise and approximate procedures, the reliability of a structural element
• Capacity of evaluating the adequacy of a structural element on the basis of its reliability.
• Capacity of quantifying, analysing, evaluating structural risks

PREREQUISITES

Undergraduate courses on ship structures design, module on Statistics and Probability

TEACHING METHODS

Theoretical lessons and guided class exercises for a total of about 60 hours

The main concepts are object of class exercises that are outlined in class carried out autonomously and discussed during the exam

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The general concepts of algebra of sets, events and their relationship, probability and conditional probability, provided by the preceding module of Statistics and Probability are briefly recalled and applied to structural design cases. The concepts of  stochastic variables and vectors, and of functions of stochastic variables and vectors are also recalled.

The following concepts are introduced:

• Stochastic models for loads and resistances and inherent uncertainties with reference to ship structures.
• Concept  and procedures for  Short- and long-term predictions of sea loads
• Structural reliability and inherent precise and approximate evaluation methods.
• Component reliability – system reliability
• Risk Analysis and inherent procedures (in particular: Formal Safety Assessment)
• Reliability calibration of partial safety factor formats
• Probabilistic fatigue

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes of what covered in the lessons are provided in English .

Other readings:

M.K. Ochi “Applied Probability & stochastic processes” John Wiley & sons

I. Elishakoff “Probabilistic methods in the theory of structures” John Wiley & sons

H.O. Madsen, S. Krenk, N.C. Lind “Methods of structural safety” Prentice-Hall

G. Solari Notes from the seminar “Principles of structural safety” (in italian) 

P. Erto Probabilità e Statistica per le Scienze e l’Ingegneria, 3/ed, The McGraw-Hill Companies srl

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/8738/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written exercises to be solved at the moment and theoretical questions on the contents of lessons and/or on the exercises solved during the course. A minimum of 5 calls are foreseen for the exam during the year

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exercise will show the ability of solving simple probabilistic problems related to the structural assessment. Theoretical questions are aimed at assessing the understanding of general concepts.

Evaluation parameters will be the quality of the expression, a correct use of the specific wording, capacity of logical presentation and critical reasoning on the studied concepts.

FURTHER INFORMATION

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