A counting process model of survival of parallel load-sharing system

A system composed from a set of independent and identical parallel units is considered and its resistance (survival) against an increasing load is mod elled by a counting process model, in the framework of statistical survival analysis. The objective is to estimate the (nonparametrized) hazard functi on of the distribution of loads breaking the units of the system (i.e. thei r breaking strengths), to derive the large sample properties of the estimat or, and to propose a goodness-of-fit test. We also examine the relationship between the survival of the system and the survival of its components.