Second-Order Reliability Methods
The SORM is an improvement over the FORM by accounting for the curved nature of the failure boundary given by $g(\vec{X}) = 0$ around the design point $\vec{x}^{*}$; thus, providing a better approximation of the probability of failure $P_{f}$.
Curve-Fitting Method
The CF method fits a hyper-paraboloid surface with a vertex at the design point $\vec{x}^{*}$ and the principal curvatures matching the principal curvatures of the failure boundary given by $g(\vec{X}) = 0$ at that point. The probabilities $P_{f}$ of failure are estimated using Hohenbichler and Rackwitz (1988) and Breitung (1984) approximations of the exact solution provided by Tvedt (1990). The calculated probabilities of failure $P_{f}$ are then used to estimate the generalized reliability indices $\beta$, which account for the curved nature of the failure boundary given by $g(\vec{X}) = 0$ around the design point $\vec{x}^{*}$.
Point-Fitting Method
The PF method fits a series of hyper-semiparaboloid surfaces with a vertex at the design point $\vec{x}^{*}$. The principal curvatures of each surface are estimated using fitting points found at the intersections of a hyper-cylinder with axis coinciding with the design point $\vec{u}^{*}$ and the failure boundary given by $g(\vec{U}) = 0$ in $U$-space. The PF method provides a better estimate of the probability of failure $P_{f}$ than the CF method since it provides a better approximation of highly non-linear failure boundaries given by $g(\vec{X}) = 0$ that are unsymmetrical about the design point $\vec{x}^{*}$.
A great description of both methods can be found in Der Kiureghian (2022).
API
Fortuna.solve — Methodsolve(problem::ReliabilityProblem, AnalysisMethod::SORM; form_solution::Union{Nothing, HLRFCache, iHLRFCache} = nothing, FORMConfig::FORM = FORM(), backend = AutoForwardDiff())
Function used to solve reliability problems using Second-Order Reliability Method (SORM).
Fortuna.SORM — TypeSORM <: AbstractReliabililyAnalysisMethodType used to perform reliability analysis using Second-Order Reliability Method (SORM).
- submethod::Fortuna.SORMSubmethod
Fortuna.CF — TypeCF <: SORMSubmethodType used to perform reliability analysis using Curve-Fitting (CF) method.
- Δ::Real: Step size used to compute the Hessian at the design point in $U$-space
Fortuna.CFCache — TypeCFCacheType used to perform reliability analysis using Point-Fitting (PF) method.
- form_solution::Union{HLRFCache, RFCache, iHLRFCache}: Results of reliability analysis performed using First-Order Reliability Method (FORM)
- β_2::Vector{Union{Missing, Float64}}: Generalized reliability indices $\beta$
- PoF_2::Vector{Union{Missing, Float64}}: Probabilities of failure $P_{f}$
- κ::Vector{Float64}: Principal curvatures $\kappa$
Fortuna.PF — TypePF <: SORMSubmethodType used to perform reliability analysis using Point-Fitting (PF) method.
Fortuna.PFCache — TypePFCacheType used to perform reliability analysis using Point-Fitting (PF) method.
- form_solution::iHLRFCache: Results of reliability analysis performed using First-Order Reliability Method (FORM)
- β_2::Vector{Union{Missing, Float64}}: Generalized reliability index $\beta$
- PoF_2::Vector{Union{Missing, Float64}}: Probabilities of failure $P_{f}$
- neg_fit_pts::Matrix{Float64}: Fitting points on the negative side of the hyper-cylinder
- pos_fit_pts::Matrix{Float64}: Fitting points on the positive side of the hyper-cylinder
- κ_1::Matrix{Float64}: Principal curvatures on the negative and positive sides
- κ_2::Matrix{Float64}: Principal curvatures of each hyper-semiparabola