The 6th meeting sponsored by IFIP Working Group 7.5, on reliability and optimization of structural systems, took place in September 1994 in Assisi, Italy. This book contains the papers presented at the working conference including topics such as reliability of special structures, fatigue, failure modes and time-variant systems relibility.

One Keynote Lectures.- 1 Optimal resource allocation for seismic reliability upgrading of existing structures and lifeline networks.- 2 Codified reliability of structures.- 3 Towards consistent-reliability structural design for earthquakes.- 4 Fuzzy logic and its contribution to reliability analysis.- Two Technical Contributions.- 5 Experience from the application of reliability fatigue crack growth analyses on real life offshore platform: parametric study and sensitivity analysis.- 6 The use of a F.E. code for multicriteria reliability based optimization of composite material structures.- 7 Approximation of non-normal responses for drag dominated offshore structures.- 8 Parameter-dependent integrals: some mathematical tools.- 9 Optimization of foundation of bridge on soft ground.- 10 Reliability of anchored monolith structures under corrosion effects.- 11 Reliability of flexible structures exposed to non-Gaussian wind pressure.- 12 A stochastic crack growth model with propagation resistance as a random field.- 13 Algorithms for reliability-based optimal design.- 14 Reliability estimation of tall RC chimneys.- 15 Discussion on response surface approximations for use in structural reliability.- 16 Site-specific and component-specific bridge load models.- 17 Functionals of stochastic processes and random fields in reliability analysis.- 18 Analysis of ignorance factors in design criteria subject to model uncertainty.- 19 An efficient FORM-based strategy for the reliability analysis of marine structures.- 20 Differentiation of probability functions arising in structural reliability.- 21 Relation between parameter sensitivities and dimensional invariance on stochastic materials design of fibrous composite laminates.- 22 Assessment of global reliability from local damage observations: application to highway bridge decks.- 23 Interactive structural optimization with quasi-Newton algorithms.- 24 Reliability of laminated structures by an energy based failure criterion.- 25 Optimization of absorbers in the highway bridges due to traffic flow.- 26 Interactive reliability-based optimal design.- 27 Reliability analysis and optimal design of monolithic vertical wall breakwaters.- 28 Assessment of performance and optimal strategies for inspection and maintenance of concrete structures using reliability based expert systems.- 29 Seismic reliability of electric power transmission systems.- 30 Reliability analysis of load path-dependent structures.- 31 Random vibrations of structures under propagating excitations.- 32 Two improved algorithms for reliability analysis.- 33 Reliability considerations of beams subjected to random moving loads.- Index of contributors.