Reliability analysis of a steel truss member: Evaluation of safety level ensured by code specifications

The load acting on a member of a angle steel truss is considered to be random and the same is generated by digital simulation. The resistance of a member of the truss is a random variable, its randomness caused by the inherent randomness of the design variables. The randomness in resistance can cause a reduction in the expected deterministically computed value of the resistance generally by using the equations suggested by the relevant code. At the same time the load being random may get enhanced. Safety has to be ensured by considering the corresponding limit state in which reduced resistance has to be weighted against enhanced action. Random values of load are generated, statistically analyzed and probabilistically modeled. Similarly random values of resistance of a member in compression and in tension are generated and modeled. Knowing the statistics and probability distributions of resistance and action the probability of failure of a member is worked out.