Abstract

An improved response surface method (RSM) for the buckling reliability and sensitivity analysis of stiffened composite panels is presented in this paper. The proposed method can consider the nonlinear trend of limit state function (LSF), and overcome the weakness of classical RSM. A stiffened composite panel under axial compression load is analyzed. The results show that the accuracy and the efficiency of proposed method are both satisfactory. The number of random variables can be greatly reduced according to actual engineering, and uncertainties of geometry and Young's modulus E₁₁ should be top-priority in the buckling reliability analysis of a composite stiffened panel. Recent patents on the reliability analysis of stiffened composite panels and RSMs are also addressed.

Keywords: Buckling reliability analysis, failure probability, first order reliability method, Monte Carlo simulation, response surface method, sensitivity measures, stiffened composite panels.