ABSTRACT
Two of the most difficult tasks of the reliability assessment of complex structural systems are the incorporation of component failure modes in the system reliability problem and the accounting of the interdependence of these modes. This paper presents a technique, Mode Step Analysis (MSA), to manage global failure modes and the dependence of component failure modes. MSA requires a finite number of structural analyses and addresses dependence through defined global failure paths. Considering the probability of component failure modes is a key element to this method. Existing methodologies used to determine these probabilities are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the roles of correlation and dependence.
