Application of fuzzy sets to structural reliability of existing structures

Assessing the safety of a structure through inspection has always been part of the practice of the structural engineer. Information obtained through these inspections can be both objective and subjective. One can update the reliability of an existing structure based on objective and subjective information through the fuzzified Bayes theorem. This paper cites the algorithm for computing the posterior probability of failure based on visual inspection of existing structures by incorporating fuzzy set theory into the Bayes theorem. The failure design probability of a structural steel frame is updated. Results indicate that the preciseness of the membership function associated with the input data has little or no influence on posterior failure probability.