Effects of crack geometries on reliabilities using probability theories

The methodologies to estimate the reliability of cracked structures using the fracture toughness and the SIF are developed. The probability theories such as the FORM and the SORM are utilized to calculate the failure probability. It is found that the failure probability increases with the increase of the crack size and the applied stress, and the decrease of the fracture toughness. It is also found that the failure probabilities obtained by the FORM and the SORM are similar each other for the through crack,the edge crack, and the single and the double crack emanated from a hole, and turn out different for the elliptical and semi-elliptical surface cracks. It is noted that the tensile stress affects significantly on the failure probability among the other random variables on the various crack geometries.