| Unit name | Fundamentals of Reliability for Engineers |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CENG30006 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. De Luca |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
The aim of this unit is to enable the students to understand the required theoretical basis and technical skills such as to feel comfortable with basic probability and statistics aimed at decision making for engineers, and introduce the basic concepts of reliability analysis in pursuit of understanding current and future codes and guidelines (e.g., safety factors, partial coefficients, …).
The course will be delivered in the context of civil engineering applications. Each theoretical topic that will be covered in this unit will be explained through engineering examples for a better understanding of practical applications of the theoretical concepts delivered.
On successful completion of the course, the students will
ULO 1. Be able to restate the problem of societal decision making.
ULO 2. Be able to apply basic principles of probability and statistics in selected engineering problems.
ULO 3. Apply statistical methods to (i) describe properties of data-sets, (ii) fit probability distributions or regression models to data, (iii) conduct hypothesis testing.
ULO 4. Be able to explain the fundamental concepts of structural reliability and the role of simulation in structural reliability.
ULO 5. Be able to explain the philosophy of codes and guidelines based on reliability methods.
20 hours of lectures
Lectures will be arranged to cover basic probability and statistics applied to engineering decision making, methods of structural reliability, and their application in structural codes. Each lesson will include applied engineering examples to emphasize the applicability of the theoretical concepts
Students will supplement these by undertaking wider reading.
100% by 2 hour examination
Ang A H-S, Tang W.H. Probability Concepts in Engineering: Emphasis on Applications to Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2nd Edition, Wiley, (2006).
Faber M.H. Statistics and Probability Theory in Pursuit of Engineering Decision Support. Springer, (2012).
Melchers R.E. Structural Reliability Analysis and Prediction, 2nd Edition. Wiley, (1999).
Pinto P.E., Giannini R., Franchin P. Seismic Reliability Analysis of Structures. IUSS Press, (2004).
