A NEW CONCEPT - PROBABILISTIC FAILURE ASSESSMENT DIAGRAM

In this paper a new concept, the probabilistic failure assessment diag ram (p-FAD), is put forward, and the technology of p-FAD has been carr ied out for defect assessment. The methodology of p-FAD is a new appro ach for defect assessment in which probabilistic parameters were intro duced and with which the probabilistic safety assessment can be carrie d out during the procedure of failure assessment. Based on the EPRI me thodology, the engineering approach for elastic-plastic fracture analy sis, the stochastic analysis of the J integral was calculated and then the statistical characteristic of the J integral was performed. (C) 1 997 Elsevier Science Ltd.