April 13, 2025

Fall 2025 Course Spotlight - CE 597: Introduction to Reliability of Structures

This course, open to both undergraduate and graduate students, will seek to understand and recognize the importance of variability and incomplete information in civil engineering, particularly structural engineering. Students will be equipped to know how to measure the safety of structures, and how a designer implements the optimum safety level.
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Course credit hours: 3 | Schedule: T-Th 12:00-1:15PM (SCHM 307) | CRN# 27587

Instructor

Anna M. Rakoczy, Ph.D. - Curtis Visiting Professor, Purdue University

Course Objectives

Understand and recognize the importance of variability and incomplete information in civil engineering, particularly structural engineering. Ensure an appropriate level of safety and functionality of structures in the presence of these uncertainties by applying probabilistic methods to the design and evaluation of structural systems. Be able to answer the questions:

  • How can we measure the safety of structures?
  • How does a designer implement the optimum safety level?

Topics Covered

  • Uncertainty in structural engineering
  • Random variables and system properties
  • Simulations (Monte Carlo)
  • Reliability analysis procedures
  • Code calibration
  • Unpredictable future loads
  • Variability in resistance models
  • System reliability
  • Current research and future trends