INTERVAL VERSUS STOCHASTIC FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURES WITH UNCERTAIN PARAMETERS

In order to handle uncertainties, which unavoidably affect structural analysis, traditionally the probability theory has been an essential cornerstone. Nevertheless, recently criticism has arisen towards the effectiveness of building a Probability Density Function to characterize the uncertain properties when experimental data are not sufficient to justify it. In this context, the interval model has proved to be a useful tool to face the lack of knowledge characterizing early stages of the design process. The aim of this paper is to compare structural responses obtained by applying the interval and stochastic approaches to incorporate uncertainties into finite element analysis.