A GLOBAL SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN STRUCTURAL MECHANICS

A methodology is developed to evaluate the response sensitivity of str uctural systems to variations in their design parameters. The sensitiv ity is evaluated by considering the global behavior of the system resp onse when the parameters vary within a bounded region. The design para meters are characterized by means of baseline values plus fluctuating components, and the sensitivity of the system is measured in terms of the global variability of the response with respect to its baseline re sponse. The methodology is then extended into the context of optimum r edesign analysis of structural systems. Application of the method is m ade to a structural system defined by two-dimensional beam-column elem ents and to a system defined by plate elements. The numerical implemen tation of the global sensitivity approach is made by means of the fini te element method. Several analyses are performed and the results are discussed. Finally, some extensions of the present work are presented.