Estimating parameter distributions in structural reliability assessment using the Transferable Belief Model

This paper applies the Transferable Belief Model (TBM) interpretation of the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence to estimate parameter distributions for probabilistic structural reliability assessment based on information from previous analyses, expert opinion, or qualitative assessments (i.e., evidence). Treating model parameters as credal variables, the suggested approach constructs a set of least-committed belief functions for each parameter defined on a continuous frame of real numbers that represent beliefs induced by the evidence in the credal state, discounts them based on the relevance and reliability of the supporting evidence, and combines them to obtain belief functions that represent the aggregate state of belief in the true value of each parameter. Within the TBM framework, beliefs held in the credal state can then be transformed to a pignistic state where they are represented by pignistic probability distributions. The value of this approach lies in its ability to leverage results from previous analyses to estimate distributions for use within a probabilistic reliability and risk assessment framework. The proposed methodology is demonstrated in an example problem that estimates the physical vulnerability of a notional office building to blast loading.