This project is to formulate a stochastic finite element procedure to study the static and dynamic behaviors of complex structures, with emphasis on thin shell structural uncertainties under random earthquake load. Structural uncertainties such as initial geometric imperfections, material properties, boundary conditions, and structural damping coefficients, etc. and random loads are considered. The main objectives are: (1) to extend the formulation of an existing curved quadrilateral thin shell element with deterministic imperfections and geometrical and material nonlinearities to include random imperfections and other structural uncertainties; (2) to codify the formulation to study the combined effects of several structural uncertainties on static analysis; (3) to develop a solution procedure within the framework of stochastic finite element approach and equivalent linearization technique, which simultaneously accounts for the effects of several structural uncertainties in spatial domain and temporal random loadings; (4) to study the dynamic response and dynamic buckling behaviors of thin complex structures subjected to earthquake load. The effort will lead to the development of a design methodology reliability analysis of practical complex structures with structural uncertainties subjected to random earthquake load.
