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Module

CEG8304 : Structural Reliability

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Professor Peter Gosling
  • Owning School: Engineering
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 10
ECTS Credits: 5.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

The aim of the module is to enable students to understand the fundamental principles of structural reliability, to have an appreciation of some advanced aspects and to demonstrate their application through the solution of a number of realistic problems, both analytically and numerically.

Summary:
The module combines analysis techniques, probabilistics and the application of statistical information in the presentation of concepts associated with the reliability analysis of structures. Material, load, and resistance properties are presented and described. Monte-Carlo and FORM methods of reliability analysis are developed and applied. These are used with the statistical information to analyse realistic tractible structural reliability problems using structural mechanics principles to explore the methodologies.

Outline Of Syllabus

1. Review of probability theory
2. Statistical properties of structural materials, members and loads
3. Structural reliability assessment for components and systems
4. Integration and simulation methods
5. Second-moment and transformation methods
6. Codes and structural reliability
7. Software application

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials121:0012:00Non-synchronous online. Lecture delivery (video)
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion132:0032:00A combination of formative and summative online in-course assessments (CANVAS quizzes/ModelCenter)
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesPractical23:006:00Computer-based practical.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching131:0013:00Tutorial and assessment support.
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study341:0034:00Studying of lecture notes in conjunction with any background reading
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesModule talk31:003:00Synchronous online. Introductions primary module topics. Suggested work plans for non-synch study
Total100:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Students are expected to learn through guided learning, independent reading and solutions to tutorial problems. They are supported in this by the provision of recorded lectures, an extensive set of notes, and tutorial activities. Learning will be further enhanced through a half-day workshop (PiP) during which the application of commercial software to the solution of structural reliability problems is explored.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Computer assessment1M1002hr Canvas based test
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The knowledge gained in the module is expected to be an understanding of the principles of structural reliability analysis and the application of those principles to structural engineering applications using an example of commercially available software. The computer assessment is a combination of short questions and a smaller set of more exploratory questions. The short questions are a mix of numerical and written forms that randomly assess the full breadth and content of the module. The longer, exploratory questions are based on numerical studies and experiments performed using computation via the selected commercially available software.

Reading Lists

Timetable