ABSTRACT
Reliability analysis of very large concrete beams is presented in the light of advanced semi-probabilistic design approaches and fully probabilistic design. Nonlinear finite element model of large concrete beam failing in shear was validated during prediction contest and utilized for advanced probabilistic analysis. The aim was to assess the variability of ultimate shear response and to present and verify alternative design procedures in comparison with fully probabilistic design. It is shown how to determine the design value of shear capacity by semi-probabilistic approaches: ECoV method, ECoV by Schlune et al. and numerical quadrature by Rosenblueth. The most advanced approach for determination of design value is fully probabilistic method using random variables and random fields (reflecting spatial variability of material parameters). It is shown that the spatial variability modelled by random fields significantly influences results.
