Cost-Benefit Importance Vectors for Performance-Based Structural Engineering
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 7
Abstract
This paper offers importance vectors to identify the structural parameters that are most cost efficient to change to improve the reliability of an underperforming design. The methodology comprises the synthesis of reliability sensitivity measures and construction cost data to obtain practically useful parameter rankings. The results expose the change in the reliability per dollar spent on different parameters. A novel distinction is made between design parameters and tolerance parameters in order to include the possibility of improving the reliability by allocating resources to reduce variability in certain geometry and material parameters. The developments are intended as a tool for the emerging performance-based engineering approach. Sophisticated structural models are employed in conjunction with reliability analysis. In this paper, the costs are estimated based on RSMeans construction cost data, while the probabilistic models for material and geometry parameters are based on the JCSS model code. A detailed example of a six-story, three-bay reinforced concrete frame structure is presented to demonstrate the computation and interpretation of the cost-benefit importance vectors.
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Acknowledgments
This work is sponsored by the second writer’s Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which is greatly appreciated. The writers would also like to thank Mr. Hong Liang for the generation of the finite-element model that is utilized in this study.
References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 133 • Issue 7 • July 2007
Pages: 907 - 915
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 1, 2006
Accepted: Dec 14, 2006
Published online: Jul 1, 2007
Published in print: Jul 2007
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Shahram Sarkani
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