IMPORTANCE SAMPLING APPROACH IN STRUCTURAL RELIABILITY ANALYSIS BASED ON KRIGING SIMULATION

Importance sampling approach based on Kriging simulation is presented for structural reliability evaluation in this paper. For the reliability analysis of implicit limit state function, finite element analysis is a time-consuming process, and it impedes the application of normal importance sampling approach (ISA). To improve the computing efficiency of ISA, finite element analysis is replaced by the Kriging simulation, which is able to simulate the highly non-linear limit state function satisfactorily. The technique combines importance sampling approach with Kriging simulation technique in structural reliability analysis, and can greatly decrease computing time of ISA. Examples of two kinds of frame structure are provided to show the efficiency of the method.