Development of Scilab-based structural reliability analysis software using Monte Carlo Simulated Finite Element Method

So far, the calculation of structural reliability using common methods always demands a closed form equation of performance function. This necessitates distribution information of loads and strength. Monte Carlo FEM method for structural reliability analysis was proposed by Guoliang et.al. However the proposed method tries to avoid simulation. Its result have some serious error. Whereas, simulation is a very powerful to analyze structural reliability. Improving the Guoliang method, this research presents how Finite Element Methods can be incorporated into Monte Carlo Simulation and develops a software based on open source code Scilab, to analyze the reliability of Plane Truss structure. This paper describes a technique based on simulations that reliability analysis of complex structure are not of a problem and of low effort. In the first step of this research, an algorithm is established by applying Monte Carlo Simulation into Finite Element Method. Then software functions in Scilab are developed based on it. For the validation, the software is used to calculate responses of simple Plane Truss structure. The results are compared to manual calculation using basic structural analysis. This research have produced a fresh procedure and simple software to analyze the Plane Truss reliability based on the incorporation of Monte Carlo Simulation with Finite Element Method.